Live to Fight
by yesimahuman
Summary: A story about young Zaraki Kenpachi's experiences in Zaraki. Contains spoilers up to Bleach 371. Language and violence, so its rated T. OCs, but one of them has his/hers existence confirmed by Kubo.
1. Prologue

DISCLAIMER: Kubo Tite owns Bleach. Not me. Copyright hounds, rest in peace.

Prologue

A/N: Hey, everyone, this is the first chapter (more of a prologue) of my first story, which is pretty much the story of how Kenpachi survived before he became a captain. Kubo pretty much gives us this: Kenpachi lived in the 80th district, met someone named Yachiru and greatly respected her, was somehow separated from her, and then meets a girl who is not afraid of his sword and names her Yachiru. After that, he meets and defeats Ikkaku, whom he befriends. Finally, he kills the 11th division captain and becomes captain himself. Nothing of any significance to the story happens after that until Ichigo and his friends show up in Soul Society. This fic expands on the pretty meager details Kubo gave us.

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"I'm back…"

"Wow, what happened to you this time? You run into Ryuuken's gang? Didn't I tell you to stay away from them?" A/N: No, Ryuuken does not have anything to do with Ishida Ryuuken. I forgot he has the same name.

"You really think I would _look _for them? They heard that I had found some extra cash."

"Want me to go get a couple of my friends and beat em' up?"

"S'Okay Saru… nothing worth going over for. I can always steal some from those idiot patrol Shinigami that drop by every once in a while…"

Saru glared at me. "Okay, okay… I won't do it," I muttered. "Not my fault those Shinigami have so much money it practically falls off of them…"

"Kid! You're not going to steal from the Shinigami!"

"Sorry…"

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Hi. People are usually supposed to begin introductions with a name, but I don't have a name. I don't even know how old I am, when my birthday was, or who my parents are. 99% of the people here in Zaraki never knew any of that, so they make stuff up. Saru tells me he made his name up by pointing randomly at a hiragana table.

I look about 16, am the tallest person I know, and have shoulder length black hair. It's not that I actually want it; it's that there aren't very many opportunities to cut your hair here. I'm a fairly good swordsman: I'd probably be able to fight my way out of a tough situation about anywhere in the world except two places- Zaraki and Seiretei. If you're just average with a sword in the lower districts, you'll be ripped to shreds before you know it if you set foot in here. Compared to the rest of the district, my fighting skills are about average.

Saru's probably the best fighter I know, and my only friend. We met each other in this shelter for homeless people. Saru's been at the shelter for 10 years, whereas I just showed up 3 years ago. He looks like he's around his 30s. He's got blonde hair that always made him stick out, making him a target for Ryuuken and the other gangs. He's fine, though. Anyone who tried to mess with him usually got sent to the medical camp the Shinigami set up outside the district. He was the only one who stuck up for me, the poor kid who had the misfortune to wind up in the ugliest place in Soul Society. Most of the people who find themselves here were either orphans or woke up here after dying in the real world. I'm an orphan who never knew his parents. Same thing with Saru. I guess we bonded that way, both of us orphans stuck in hell. Most of the people in the shelter are the victims- people who are too scared to get up and walk outside, for fear of being mugged, or worse, killed. Some are the people who try and protect others the best they can. And then there are the few people with… issues. Trying to sleep at night is hard when your house doubles as a rubber padded room.

Saru's a goody-goody two shoes. He always refused to steal, even when he desperately needed something. The other people living in the shelter told me that once, a couple years before I showed up, Saru came down with one of the many illnesses circulating around Zaraki. This one was particularly nasty, but Saru didn't let his friends raid the Shinigami med camp. Once I teased him that saints like him who always did what was "right" and could fight as well as him belonged in Seireitei, not Zaraki. He laughed it off, but there was a strange look in his eyes that only went away the next morning.

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I was out to get some water for the shelter when they found me.

"Hey, you! Scrawny boy with the girly hair! Got anything on you? Doesn't really matter if you do, anyways."

That's Ryuuken. He's the bald ringleader of a group of thugs. I have never seen a single strand of hair on his head. People tell me that he's been bald his entire life. His whole gang's a bunch of arrogant assholes who never gave a damn about anyone but themselves. I could probably take down one of them one-on-one, but this time, Ryuuken showed up with his entire gang, almost a dozen guys. His little comment bothered me however. He doesn't care if I have money? Ryuuken, not caring about money? When pigs fly.

I considered my odds. A dozen guys, some of the meanest people in Zaraki, versus an average fighter who wasn't even armed. I figured a 3 year old had about as much chance of beating them as I did.

"I don't have anything on me, Ryuuken," I said. "Why don't you go and relieve someone else of his money?"

Ryuuken grinned. Bad sign. "Naah. It's okay. We'll find out about how much money you really have soon enough."

Before I could react, two of Ryuuken's guys grabbed me by my arms, preventing me from fighting back. They pushed me to the ground. I struggled, but it was useless. "Asshole. The hell do you want from me?"

"My, my, talkative are we? Why don't you just shut up?" he snarled, raising his fist.

THUD

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When I woke up, I was in the abandoned warehouse that Ryuuken's gang uses as a hideout. I always thought it was a pretty pathetic excuse of a hideout. As I looked out the sole window in the room, I observed that we were obviously on one of the higher floors, several yards above the ground.

They had thrown me against the wall of the warehouse opposite the window. There was a small door on the wall adjacent to the left side of the wall I was on. I knew enough about the layout of Zaraki and where this warehouse was located to figure out that behind me, there was a river outside the buildling. You know it's a bad sign when you're in a building and you're worrying about whether or not the area below you will kill you if you fall down on it. When I looked up, I noticed that Ryuuken was standing uncomfortably close to me. I almost tried to shift my body away from Ryuuken, until I noticed the knife that he was holding to my throat. Now I knew why they hadn't tied me up- any attempts to escape would be suicide. I gulped, immediately deciding that I was perfectly fine just staying still. I considered asking what they wanted with me. Looking up at Ryuuken, I opened my mouth a fraction of an inch, to ask- and immediately closed it after I saw the look on his face. He looked crazy, like a demon that would kill and murder innocent, defenseless people just for fun.

Suddenly the door burst open, and Saru strode in. _"No_," I thought. "_What the hell are you doing? They outnumber you 12-1! There's no way you'll get out alive!" _

"Well, well. It looks like your guardian angel has finally arrived," Ryuuken mocked. Turning to Saru, his expression changed, becoming even more demonic in its hatred. "Well, Saru, seems you finally showed up."

"Let the kid go. He hasn't done anything wrong."

Ryuuken chuckled. "Of course he hasn't. I only used him to get to you." He laughed as Saru raised an eyebrow. "You really wonder why?" he spat. "Fine then. I'll spell it out for you, nice and easy. I'm a man of simple taste. All I want is money. The only thing you can trust in the world is money. Money is the only thing that really matters in this world. You are an obstacle between me and my money. You're a Shini-"

He never got to finish his sentence. Saru leaped forward, drawing his sword. Two of Ryuuken's men leapt at him, one of them raising his fists, the other drawing a sword. Saru easily dodged a punch, and kicked the first guy into a wall, which subsequently crumbled on him. Quickly turning, he parried a thrust and impaled the second man, who crumpled into a heap.

"GET HIM!" Ryuuken screamed, enraged. "And I want him _alive_!" The rest of the gang rushed Saru, not noticing his rapidly moving lips. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" Saru shouted. Ryuuken's henchmen, ignorant to the impending danger, kept running forward, drawing various weapons. "IDIOTS!" Ryuuken exclaimed. "Get the hell back! That's Kido!"

Too late. A slight smirk on his lips, Saru shouted "Hado Number 31: Shakkoho!" The resulting explosion blasted the floor of the warehouse apart, catapulting debris high into the air and blasting several of Ryuuken's men to bits. Those that weren't killed cowered behind the remains of the warehouse floor.

Only their leader was unfazed. "Son of a bitch," he snarled. "Looks like I'm gonna have to deal with you myself." Saying so, he dropped me unceremoniously on the ground, and lifted his knife. "Raze, Bloody Flame!"

Throughout the entire battle, I was completely lost. (Don't worry, everybody except Ryuuken and Saru were.) _Huh? _I thought. _Kido? Isn't that something that only Shinigami do? Saru can't be a Shinigami! _ _And what's that strange knife that Ryuu… holy crap…_

As I was busy being confused, Ryuuken's dagger had grown a couple inches, and had begun to drip blood, seemingly out of nowhere. Several notches appeared in its side. It looked like the kind of weapon you would see a serial killer hold after claiming another victim. Saru smirked. "Finally beginning to get serious, eh, Ryuuken? I'm not going to pretend that I haven't been waiting for this," he declared. I'd never seen Saru look so serious before. He was a laid back, easygoing kind of guy. Sure, he would chuck you out a window if you attacked him, but the look on his face told me that he was planning something much worse for Ryuuken. I was staring at Saru with a mixture of fear, awe, and respect when he suddenly disappeared.

It was a move I'd seen many times when I'd watched Shinigami spar. One moment they were just standing there, the next moment they appeared, flickering into vision, somewhere else. At first I thought it was some Kido teleportation spell until I observed them perform the move enough to be able to follow the Shunpo to some degree.

I was sure that Ryuuken was about to be decapitated, but he whipped around and raised his knife, just in time to parry Saru's blade. As the strange knife blocked Saru's sword, it began to glow, like metal in a furnace. Cursing, he jumped back just as his sword began to crack.

Ryuuken grinned. "My, my, Saru. Did you even do your homework? You don't even know Bloody Flame's abilities, do you?" he taunted.

"It's not that I don't know them, bastard. It's that I don't _care._ Flow, Mercury!"

Saru's blade shimmered, and then completely dissolved. Ryuuken's cursed as a stream of metallic liquid rushed out of Mercury. He used Shunpo to dodge as the strange fluid slammed into the wall behind him, destroying it. Ryuuken's eyes widened at the destruction. Suddenly aware of something to his left, he raised his sword to block as Saru hurtled towards him.

The impact slightly melted Mercury, but Saru looked unconcerned. With a deft flick of his wrist, he turned his sword to its liquid form and back again, reforming it perfectly. Saru wasn't even sweating. His opponent, on the other hand, looked much worse for wear. He was panting and had several small cuts where small bits of Mercury had cut him. "You… bastard…," he managed to say between breaths. "I'm… gonna KILL YOU!" "Good luck," Saru muttered, as he seemingly disappeared, reappearing an instant later behind Ryuuken. "You'll need it."

This time, Ryuuken was expecting it. Dazed as he was, he managed to lift his Zanpakuto, sliding his body under Saru's blade. Whipping out Bloody Flame with a speed that could only be achieved with its short length, he slashed him across the neck. Saru collapsed, blood streaming from his wound, while Ryuuken got unsteadily to his feet. "Well. Looks like you really weren't that much trouble after all, eh?" he mockingly said, a grin on his face. "Now, how to deal with you…" he said, turning towards me.

Throughout the entire battle, the primary emotion that I had been experiencing was fear. Now, another feeling coursed through me, driving all the fear away. With a start, I realized that this was the first time in my life that I had never been afraid- all I wanted to do was kill. Something shimmered in my right hand. I could see Ryuuken's eyes widen as he took a couple steps back…trying to get away from me…

… when he walked straight into Saru's outstretched hand. On the ground, dying, he had grabbed Ryuuken by his leg and was using him to drag himself up. Too shocked to do much but stare, Ryuuken watched as Saru reached into his pocket with his free hand, took out a small vial, and threw it at Bloody Flame.

When the vial hit the Zanpakuto, its effect, which was automatic, activated. The glass melted away, exposing the liquid underneath. The liquid was one of the rarest substances in Soul Society: synthesized liquid firerock. Firerock was an explosive that had been used when digging out the vast sewer systems. When exposed to high temperatures, it reacts violently.

The explosion hurled all of the warehouse's occupants out into the streets of Zaraki. Pedestrians and Shinigami alike looked up in awe at the colossal explosion. The warehouse was wiped off the face of the Earth, blown to bits.

The last thing that the boy who would become a demon remembered was being flung over the streets of Zaraki. As Saru had thrown the Firerock at Bloody Flame, he had mouthed the word "run" at the boy. He only had time to run a couple feet, but those extra feet were all that made the difference between life and death as the explosive liquid had ignited, triggered by the Zanpakuto's effect. As he was blasted away from the warehouse, he had a stroke of luck- he landed in the river. The only physical damage the boy took from the blast was a thin cut, running along the left side of his face. As the impact knocked him unconscious, however, his head hit a rock- not enough to kill him, but enough to knock loose a couple screws. The next day, when he woke up, a sword with several notches along its length in his hand, he didn't remember who he was, or what had happened for the previous years of his life. But the amnesia couldn't obscure the overwhelming sense of purpose that had overcome the boy- to kill a bald man named Ryuuken.

Review, please.


	2. The Demon of Zaraki

The Demon of Zaraki

A/N: This chapter is in 3rd person. I'm planning to switch POV a couple times throughout the story. I liked the prologue in 1st person, shows the inner world of the kid Zaraki. In this chapter, you don't really have to see their incredibly detailed perspectives on things.

The streets of Zaraki were deserted, except for one man. He carried with him an air of insanity. A crazy look was seemingly permanently plastered on his face. He carried a sword in his right hand; its sheath was on a belt strapped to his waist. The sword was dripping blood- fresh blood. He casually wiped it on his shirt, staining it. The people in the streets were experienced with these kinds of people- insane killers, people you wanted to stay away from.

Suddenly spotting a brave man who had dared to venture a couple feet out of his hiding spot, he quickly walked over. The man, immediately regretting his audacity, found himself being ordered to talk.

"Excuse me?" the man timidly said.

"You heard me. Say the first word that comes to your mind."

"Uh…," the man said. _"Definitely crazy. Might not be a psychopath, otherwise I'd be dead," he thought. _"Um… Hi?"

"Say something that's _not a word,_"

The man involuntarily shivered. "Zaraki," he said. "It's the name of this district."

"Thank you for your time," Zaraki said, with an air of sarcasm.

----

It wasn't very hard to adapt to the new environment that Zaraki had found himself in. He had a sword, and he had a purpose- to kill a man. If anything, he was defiantly not alone in his less-than-angelic intent. Within 5 minutes of waking up and walking out of the riverbank, two men had jumped him.

Within every human being lies an almost infinite potential to destroy. In Zaraki, that potential had been unleashed the minute his former self died. The boy Zaraki had once been really hadn't been all that weak- just paralyzed, but his own cowardice and mental weakness. He'd only truly been able to fight after that pathetic, former self had died. There hadn't been enough left of the robbers to feed to rats. (A/N: If I just say "Zaraki" I mean Zaraki Kenpachi. )

Immediately after he had given himself a name, Zaraki went down his twisted little list of priorities and hit number two. So right before the poor man Zaraki had just assaulted had gotten a chance to duck back into his house, he called out "Hey, wait!"

The man froze in his tracks. "W-what is it?" he stuttered. "I didn't do something wrong, did-"

"No. Just asking… is there a bald man named Ryuuken around these parts?" he inquired, a bit too politely.

The man looked at him as if he had come from outer space. "You seriously don't know? His warehouse just exploded, and seeing as he hasn't gone killing every person in sight to find someone to blame, I'd say he's dead."

Zaraki looked at him strangely. "Dead, you said?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Dead. And a good thing too…"

Zaraki didn't even listen to the rest of his sentence. _"Dead? Dead isn't good," he wondered. "If he's dead that means I can't kill him."_ Suddenly a figure ducking into a building caught his attention. _"Wait a minute. That guy looks familiar... when did I…" _More faces began to show up in Zaraki's mind- with lines connecting them to a bald man with a knife.

----

A man in tattered clothing walked into a bar. He had a diagonal scar cutting from upper left to lower right across his face. Like most of the other bars in the area, this bar was a place, where, if you wanted to walk in, you made sure that you had a hand on your weapon at all times. Unless you were drunk, of course, in which case in the alcoholic haze, your inebriated brain's first reaction would be to attack with the bottle you were no doubt taking a drink from. A drunken man swinging a sake bottle at you is truly a sight many would cower, if not run from.

The bar, however, was a place you would avoid if you had any injuries preventing you from fighting. So when a man with his left arm at a funny angle and a limp in his right leg dragged himself in, it certainly raised lots of questions. He dropped himself on a table, quickly ordering bottle of sake with a golden coin. Several bandits looked hungrily at him, hands on their swords.

The injured man didn't need to worry, however, as three men rushed over from nearby tables. They were carrying weapons, and they quickly sat down at the table with the first man. The shot glares at the people who had been on the verge of robbery, clearly announcing that the man was under their protection.

A man with a burn covering an entire side of his face sat down next the injured man. He had short, black hair. "Good grief, Tanaka, what the hell happened? ", he inquired.

"No time to talk. I'm in hiding, Honda." the man grunted.

"Who the hell are you hiding from? You used to be his right-hand man, didn't you?" Honda asked, concerned. He wasn't concerned for the injured man however- whoever had managed to do that to Tanaka was dangerous, to all of the men gathered.

"Ever since Ryuuken disappeared in the explosion, things have gone crazy overnight. And not just because of the power struggle to fill in the vacuum," Tanaka said. "There's something… someone out there even worse. And he's coming for people like us. Ryuuken's former employees. Mind you, two guys were killed by that other Shinigami, five more by the explosion. Not counting Ryuuken, of course, that leaves five of us. Out of us five, he's already taken out Taka. I was with him when it happened, that's how I got these injuries. I managed to escape though, and came here to warn you guys."

"Thanks, Tanaka. By the way, you keep referring to this guy as 'the man hunting us down'. Does this guy have a name?" a second man asked. He had relatively dark skin and black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail.

"We don't even know why he's after us, let alone a name, Tsuna. I never even got a good look at his face when he showed up. Don't even know what happened to Taka. All I know is that he's really tall. That's it," he muttered. "And… the thing is… word spreads quickly around here, you know? And… the rumors are… a couple people saw him walking out of the building that Taka and I were in. He was so scary looking… they call him 'Demon'".

"Demon? That guy sure has taken on an arrogant name", the third man said. He was overweight, and towered above the rest of the bar. "Let's forget psychopaths trying to hunt us down for a minute, and have a drink."

"Easier said than done, Shika," Tanaka said. "You should have seen the guy. He was even taller than you, carried this huge sword, and had this… sort of _aura_ around him. I can understand why they call him a demon."

----

The gears were turning in Zaraki's mind. He'd been sure there'd been _two_ people in that building- both of them he clearly remembered standing next to Ryuuken in his fractured memory. That was certain. However, after he'd thrown Scarface into a wall, he hadn't seen him again. "_The little bastard probably got away," he thought. "Damn, I was too careless._" Not only had he let one of his prey escape, he might have let himself a bit too far loose. He hadn't killed Taka, but he had been left huddled in a corner, in the fetal position, rocking back and forth and begging for his Mommy. Which was strange, seeing as he had stolen from his mother to buy his sword (now broken), but Zaraki didn't know that. He was just pissed off, seeing as now the man couldn't answer his questions.

Zaraki refused to believe that Ryuuken was dead. "_If I'd wanted to kill that bastard so bad, he'd better still be alive," he had mused. "Or else I'll get pretty upset." _But what could he do now? He was at a dead end. Scarface had escaped, and it would take a long time to look for him. The district was pretty big. _"Oh, well. Why don't I just get a drink, listen to what's going on. I might pick up some clues."_

----

Tanaka was just finishing his drink when he saw him. Tall, shoulder length black hair, insane grin, check, check, check, time to run like hell. Even with his broken limbs, he could probably steal a horse from outside the bar.

But there was the problem of his companions. All four of them leaving at once would attract unwanted attention that would probably get them all killed. So, he really wasn't doing anything wrong, he told himself, because his friends would die anyways. Nothing was wrong with saving your own skin.

"Oh, haha, sorry guys...," he said, forcing himself to be casual while pulling a cheesy grin. "I gotta go now… hehe….see you later. Bye!" He practically ran (as fast as he could, with his broken leg) for the door.

The sudden movement was not lost on Zaraki. He jumped up, shouting, "Hey, wait! You're that guy!" He abruptly stopped, his eyes traveling to the table that Tanaka had been sitting at. "You guys are his friends, right?" Their fearful eyes were all the answer he needed. "Now then. Since you're his friends, I'll assume that you were formerly employed to a man named Ryuuken. Correct?" Their eyes widened. Busted…

Zaraki sat down at their table. "Is Ryuuken still alive?" he asked. Silence met his inquiry. "Do you know anyone who might know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, the answer to my previous question?" he inquired, with more of an edge to his voice. Silence, again, met his question.

Without hesitating, Zaraki picked up Shika and threw him into the bar wall. The wall collapsed on him, along with a rather large section of the ceiling.

The bar erupted into chaos. Hardened criminals ran away, screaming. Zaraki's reputation as a "Demon" was certainly getting along quite nicely.

Tsuna and Honda made a break for it. At least, they tried to. Zaraki grabbed them both by their throats and pinned them against the wall (the other one, the first wall had been destroyed).

"Now then," he hissed. "I am very sure you are aware of this, but, just in case you don't' know, if I get pissed off, all I need to do… is squeeze. I'll ask again. Is Ryuuken alive, and, if you do not know the answer to the question, do you know anyone who, beyond a shadow of a doubt, does?"

Tsuna broke first. "I-I don't know if Ryuuken's alive, but-," he stuttered, wincing when Zaraki suddenly tensed. "I do know, however, that if anyone does know, it's Tanaka. He was Ryuuken's right hand man. He should know."

"I see." Zaraki said. He dropped them to the ground, and both of them started massaging their throats. Honda warily looked up, and almost jumped out of his skin.

Zaraki was wearing his patented grin. "Does he have any friends that he might run to?"

"No, we were his only friends. At look how he treated us…" Tsuna muttered.

"And might either of you know where he is?" he asked.

"He just bolted, you saw him, didn't you? Seeing as he probably took a horse and rode away, he should be far away," Honda said. "But, you know, you did break two of his limbs, so…"

Zaraki disappeared in a flash.

----

Tanaka looked behind him. He had always been a pretty good rider, and he had long since left the bar far behind. He heaved a sigh of relief. "_Too close," he thought. "How the hell did that guy find me? He didn't even look like he was _looking_ for me!_

A wave of pain passed through his broken limbs. _"Shit, gotta get these treated," he thought._ Spotting one of the many hospital-like buildings that dotted Zaraki, he veered his getaway horse into the shelter.

The medic centers were relatively luxurious compared to the rest of the district. Funded by the Central 46, the centers had been created to solve overcrowding- so many people in Zaraki were wounded every day that the Shingami medical camps had overflowed, along with the hospitals in the neighboring 79th and 78th districts. After the hospitals had been built, the overcrowding problem was drastically lessened. Another reason was the need for appeasement. Zaraki residents, 99% of whom were, and still are armed, were on the verge of revolt until Seireitei finally decided to pay them some attention. Conditions had improved. Now, the revolutionary meetings were only twice a year.

As Tanaka quietly stepped inside the building, he could see that it was indeed much better furnished than the rest of Zaraki. There were two columns of hospital beds running the length of the building. About two thirds of them were occupied. A nurse quickly rushed over and brought him to a bed. She had long, braided, dark hair. "So," she said, putting on a fake smile, "what's wrong with you?"

"Uh… I just need my left arm and right leg in a cast. They're… broken," he muttered.

"I see…," she said, reaching for her first aid. She reached for her first aid. "How did you break them?"

"None if your business," he snarled. "Just fix me up, and then I'm out of here."

"No, you're not," the nurse said, smiling. "You will stay here until we are sure that you will make a full recovery."

Tanaka sat up. "Screw you!" he yelled. "_Make_ me stay!"

"I would never do such a thing to a patient," she pleasantly said. "Just, remember, as long as you are here…

Tanaka suddenly felt a chill run up his spine.

…your life is in our hands. Nesa, could you please come here and attend to this man? It's time for my break."

----

The minute that he was sure that the scary lady was not within 10 miles of the hospital, he snuck out. The nurse had freaked him out, perhaps scarred him for life. That much was certain.

He hadn't gone 10 meters when he felt it. He froze. _"Why have you stopped walking, Tanaka?" he thought to himself. "Nothing's out of the ordinary. Just pick up your feet and…"_

A shadow fell over Tanaka. He turned around, hoping beyond hope that it was just a cloud.

It was _him._ You could almost _hear _Tanaka's composure shatter. He started sobbing. "What the hell do you want with me…," he choked out. "I HAVENT' DONE ANYTHING WRONG!"

Zaraki looked at him, concerned. "Are you still sane?" If he had gone crazy, that would pose a problem for Zaraki.

"Not for long, if you keep stalking me!" he shouted.

"I haven't been stalking you. I was just planning to… _persuade _you to answer a couple of the questions that I have."

Tanaka gulped. "If I answer the questions, will you go away?"

"Probably," Zaraki said.

Tanaka breathed in a deep breath, attempting to regain his composure. "Fine, shoot."

"Is Ryuuken, you boss, still alive?"

"My former boss," Tanaka muttered. "And… the answer is… probably yes. You know that guy was a Shingami, it isn't a secret anymore. And I was his right hand man, so I know things. The clothes that he wore that day were Kido-enforced. He had invented them himself. Nothing except Kido spells and reiatsu enforced blows could penetrate it. The explosion wasn't either of those… so I would say, yes, he is alive."

Zaraki grinned. "That's good. He won't be for very long, though. Do you where he is right now?" he asked.

"That warehouse was the only meeting point we ever had," he said. "There aren't any other places that were of any significance to the gang, as far as I know."

Tanaka looked up, but Zaraki was already gone.

----

_"So, he's alive." Zaraki mused as he lay down for the night. He had created a makeshift shelter by the riverbank which he had woken up. It was a simple, functional thing. It consisted of a small cloth to provide protection from the wind and rain, and a cleared out patch of ground for sleeping. He had some money which he had found in his pocket for food, plus the money he had gotten from the dead robbers, so he wouldn't starve. "After all, it wouldn't do good to starve," Zaraki thought. "I have a job to do." _


	3. To Stand at the Top of the World

DISCLAIMER: Kubo Tite owns Bleach. Not me. Copyright hounds, rest in peace.

To Stand at the Top of the World

_Is a dream held fast by every man's heart._

The clanging of steel against steel filled the air. Bodies littered the ground. Cowards, not worthy enough to die the honorable death of the warrior, fled from the battle, only to be stabbed in the back. And in the midst of it all stood a figure, holding a knife in each hand. She cut down her enemy, knives glinting in the sun. Almost dancing, she slew all those who challenged her, until nobody was left.

----

I was drinking at a bar, sitting next to another man. Neither of us knew the other's name. Names were insignificant to everyone except the person whom it belonged to. Being given a name by a loving parent gave the name weight and importance. In this district of orphans, giving yourself a name was a method to assign yourself importance. Without a name, you were nothing, a "he" or a "she". With a name, you were somebody, even if most people didn't care.

I wondered about Ryuuken. He wasn't dead, but he was out of the picture for now. Even with his Shinigami skills, without troops to back him up, he wouldn't be able to do anything significant.

"_But haven't they already gotten involved? Saru was a Shinigami also… But it's strange. He arrived without any backup, and after his death, this place wasn't swamped by Shinigami," I thought. _ I was interrupted from my thought by my drinking partner.

"Hey, did you hear? The Tigers were just annihilated."

I perked up my ears. "Annihilated? By whom?" I questioned.

My fellow drinker shrugged. "Who knows? Most of the people who saw the aftermath thought it was you," he said, nodding respectfully.

"So, what happened? Did someone just walk in and kill them all?" I asked, incredulous.

"No, in fact, I think they were actually trying to invade the south-eastern neighborhood. I'm pretty sure it was to gain some ground in the power struggle. But they were wiped out. No survivors," he said, frowning.

"The south-east is the weakest neighborhood here," I said. "I really can't see how the rag-tag loser that they are could stand up to the Tigers."

"That's why everyone thought it was you. But they were wiped out a little under an hour ago- and at that time, you were sitting here," he said. "So it can't be you."

I frowned. "_Annihilated?" I thought. "That just doesn't happen to a Zaraki gang. What if…" _I suddenly broke into a grin. "I'm heading to the south-eastern neighborhood," I announced.

The other man looked up, startled. "What?" he asked in disbelief. "Why?"

My grin widened. "To check things out," I declared. "And, if I'm lucky, to pick a fight."

----

The southeastern neighborhood of Zaraki has a reputation for being the weakest section of the district. True, a 7-year old from that neighborhood could probably beat a noble teenager brat unconscious, but that just doesn't cut it for Zaraki residents. At the age of 7, most of the people living in Zaraki could probably take on two noble teenagers, and probably kill both of them. The neighborhood, without any strong military force, quickly became Ryuuken's territory. The residents, still weak as ever, couldn't put up any resistance. (It's theorized that the reason the South-Eastern neighborhood is so weak is that a noble once visited it. Falling for a local woman, his genes destroyed the neighborhood's fighting capabilities.)

After Ryuuken's disappearance, it became No-Man's Land. Given the neighborhood's circumstances, the Tigers had attempted to conquer it. It was supposed to be bread and butter. Go in, kill anyone who gets in the way, threaten little kids, neighborhood's yours. What they didn't expect was that someone new had arrived at the scene, someone that they didn't see coming.

The south-eastern neighborhood was buzzing with rumors about the recent battle. None of the residents had participated. They had expected to be taken over in a matter of hours. Instead, when a couple people went out to see why the Tigers couldn't just barge in and get it over with already, they found a slaughter. All of the Tigers were dead, killed by some sort of blade. None of the local residents had even come out of their homes, let alone put up a resistance. The only possible candidate, the Demon, was sitting at a bar, miles away.

Fifteen minutes after the incident had been discovered, someone came into the neighborhood. It was a woman who looked around 20 years old. She had short-cut brown hair, and carried two knives. Inevitably, suspicion ran rampant. The Tigers had been slaughtered by someone wielding a blade. Here was somebody arriving immediately after the incident, carrying knives.

Zaraki looked with suspicion also. He decided to take the initiative, and act. Stepping out in the middle of the rood, he directly blocked the brown-haired girl's path.

She stopped in her tracks. "What do you want?" she said, her voice devoid of any killing intent. In fact, there was a hint of fear in it.

Zaraki frowned. He glanced down at the knives, and realized that they were more decorative than functional, designed to deter potential robbers. _"No killer intent," he thought. "At all." Maybe whoever did it's not here after all._

"Nothing," he muttered, and let the girl continue on her way.

----

I didn't have any trouble getting information from people. My reputation had spread pretty quickly in six months. Most people just looked frightened and answered my questions. One guy who must have lived under a rock refused to answer, swaggered drunkenly, and called my long hair "girly". The local shopkeepers (who all sold weapons) were relieved that the building I had destroyed was abandoned.

Finally, I gave up. _"Damn… maybe whoever killed all the tigers isn't here anymore. It isn't completely certain that they would come here; they might go to some other neighborhood, or even go to Kusajishi or Inuzuri…._ _I'd better start looking somewhere else…"_

Disappointed, I left to search the neighboring districts. "_And I was getting all warmed up for a fight," I morosely reflected._

6 Months Later

"Do you have ANY FUCKING IDEA, how piss-ass annoying it is to look for someone for SIX FUCKING MONTHS," I shouted, "And not find any trace of them?" I took a swig out of my sake bottle. It was my fifth one. Yes, I was drunk. Most people thought I was around 30 (In SS age.) It didn't really matter if I was only around 17. There wasn't a drinking age in Soul Society. Getting drunk off of alcohol wasn't much different than getting drunk off of bloodlust. Alcohol was just a bit more… hazy. Most of the bar's occupants were giving me a very wide berth. Except for the person I was talking to, who knew that he should just nod at everything I said and just shut up.

Six months into my search and nothing had turned up. I had checked all the districts up to the 70th (my reputation now extended to the bordering districts), and I couldn't even find a description, let alone the actual person

In the mean time, the power struggle was escalating, threatening to erupt into all out war. Gangs were constantly fighting to gain territory, except in the south-eastern neighborhood. It had been officially labeled "jinxed". Nobody in their right minds would try and go for that, except for maybe me, and I wasn't into that kind of stuff. I just wanted to get revenge, end of story. As long as nobody got in my way, I could just skip the battle drama and get down to business.

I sighed. I had wanted to meet the person who could slaughter an entire gang to fight him or her, but I realized that it was pointless. I decided that I would give up the search, and resume my search for Ryuuken.

----

The vast majority of all the gangs in Zaraki used one word, often animal-themed, names. Gang members had limited creativity. Often, they would just recycle the names from previous gangs. When the Tigers were wiped out, another gang sprang up with the same name, but different faces.

The Cobras were the exception. There had never been another gang with the same name in the history of Zaraki. They had received their name from their founder, who famously had a pet cobra. The Cobras had lasted for centuries. They had never been wiped out, even when Ryuuken was around. They were one of the oldest and most respected gangs in Zaraki.

Considering their history of violence and conquest, it was little surprise to anyone that they were the closest to conquering Zaraki. Little stood in their way to accomplish the dream that every gang had: to conquer Zaraki, the toughest district in Sereitei, and to stand at the top of their world.

There were two things that barred their path, though. The Demon, if turned against them, would destroy them. His prowess in battle was legendary, and he would cut down their men with ease.

But the Demon stayed out of the gang business. The real problem laid in whoever had destroyed the Tigers. That person was clearly involved in the gang war, and it was rumored that the other person was as skilled as the Demon himself. In addition, the Demon had a face. He was easily recognizable with his distinctive scar and long hair. The other person, however, was unidentified. It could be anyone, male or female. That person was the variable in the entire equation. He or she had to be brought under control.

The leader of the Cobras grinned. Unlike most of the people in Zaraki, he was a very intelligent man. He had stolen books from Shinigami and was very knowledgeable about politics. He was also an expert manipulator. He wasn't the leader of the famed Cobras for nothing. Besides his undeniable fighting capabilities, he was capable of formulating plans that would always get him what he wanted. He had information regarding that person that would be invaluable to the Demon. His plan was beginning to come together.

----

"No," I said.

"Why not?"

"Because," I said impatiently. "I have more important things to do than look for this person. Do you have a name?"

The leader of the Cobras looked taken aback by this sudden question. "Traditionally, the holder of this position is just called 'Leader'. But that's not the point," he said hastily. "I know that you're on a manhunt for Ryuuken. It's the exact reason why I thought you would be interested."

I looked up, suddenly interested. "What?"

The leader grinned. "We arrived at the scene immediately after we got wind of it. And so, I know two things about this person that nobody else does. One of the Tigers was still alive when we arrived. He died five minutes later, but we got this out of him: a description. I'll give it to you after you accept, which I'm sure you will. This is the second thing we know about her. We found it at the battle site. We believe it dropped from her pocket."

He slid something across the table we were sitting at. I looked the leader straight in the eye. "You know, if you're fucking around with me, I'll kill you," I said.

"I am dead serious. My only condition is that you find her and hand her over. We will allow you to talk with her while she is in our custody."

I sighed. _"Great," I thought. "Now I'm a bounty hunter."_

I couldn't turn down this over, however. This was the best lead I had gotten in a long time.

The leader had slid over a picture of Ryuuken. I was back on the trail.

My employer looked at me. "Do you accept?" he asked.

I didn't say anything for a moment. Then I took the plunge. "Yes," I said.

He smiled. He handed over a piece of paper, which I read.

"So… our target would be a girl… long, blonde hair, average height, and carries two knives. I find her, and after I find her and beat her into submission I hand her over to you. I am free to get whatever information I want from her afterwards. Deal?" I asked.

"Deal," the leader responded.

I wanted answers, and my target, the girl, could provide them. She was related to Ryuuken, who was related to Saru, and they were all related to me. Over the past few months, my memory had improved. I could remember waking up in a warehouse, and watching two men fight. One of them was obviously on my side: Saru. Ryuuken had killed him, and I had lost my memory. That much I knew. But I needed answers: who were those two, _really_. I knew that they were Shinigami, but they didn't wear the Shinigami uniform. And what were they doing in Zaraki? The entire thing was a mystery.

_"And that girl's the answer," I thought._

----

Two Years Later

The girl was running. She knew _who _she was running from, but she didn't know _why. _She wasn't scared, just surprised, and a little angry. Seeing an open door, she ducked inside.

"You really aren't very fast, are you?" Zaraki asked. "I saw the direction you were going and ran ahead of you."

The girl turned around. There he was. The infamous Demon of Zaraki. "What do you want with me, Demon?" she demanded.

A hint of amusement reached his eyes. "You know," he said. "I have a name besides 'Demon'. It's Zaraki."

The girl looked confused. "The name of this district?" she asked.

"Yes," Zaraki responded.

"What do you want?" the girl asked.

Zaraki sighed. "What do _I_ want isn't as important as what Cobra wants," he said. "If they're not pleased, then I don't get what _I_ want either way."

The girl's eyes narrowed. "You're a bounty hunter," she snarled, disgust all too evident in her voice.

"Yes," Zaraki said. "And I have to beat you."

The girl barely had time to raise her knives when Zaraki slammed into her. Disengaging, she swiped one of her knives at his chest. He leapt backwards to avoid the knife, and brought his sword crashing down.

The girl dove sideways to dodge Zaraki's sword. Rolling back to her feet, she aimed a kick at his torso. It was a fatal mistake. With lighting reflexes, Zaraki grabbed her leg and swung her into the ground. She blacked out on impact.

Surprisingly, Zaraki did not sheathe his sword. Grabbing the girl, he swung his sword and demolished the building's wall, creating an escape route. Not pausing for rest, he turned around parried the sword thrust that would have impaled him otherwise. Trapping the assassin's sword between his own sword and the wall, he shattered it with his bare hands.

Zaraki began to chuckle. "Well, I guess this really reflects on our character, don't you think?" he said. "I never intended to hand her over, and your boss was planning to kill me right after I did." He looked the assassin in the eye. His enemy held his gaze, not breaking contact. "What's your name?" Zaraki asked. The assassin looked up with surprise. "Soi Ichi," he answered.

Zaraki raised his sword. "Congratulations," he said. "You are the first person I have killed that hasn't cowered or screamed. You get to die being somebody in my eyes."

----

The Leader cursed. The scout he had dispatched to check things out after Soi Ichi had not reported back had bad news. Soi Ichi was dead. Demon and the girl were nowhere to be seen.

_"Great," the Leader thought. "So now Cobra's best assassin is dead, and I've antagonized Demon, if not the girl as well. Way to go."_

He massaged his temples. I would be best to lay low for a while, he realized.

----

When the girl came around, she was lying on a bare patch of ground. Groggily getting up, she observed her surroundings. She was in a makeshift shelter made from branches and pieces of cloth.

Walking out of her shelter, she noticed that it was situated on a riverbank. On the opposite side of the river was the demolished rubble of a building that had obviously once stood there.

Zaraki was sitting by the riverbank, looking at the rubble. He seemed deep in thought. Noticing the girl, he got up.

"Well," she said. "You obviously aren't much of a bounty hunter. What do you really want with me?"

"Do you have a name?" Zaraki asked.

"Yachiru," she replied. "Now answer my question."

Zaraki took something out of his pocket. He showed her a picture. "Does this person mean anything to you?" he asked.

Yachiru took it. As she looked at it, her eyes widened. She stifled a gasp. "How did you get that?"

Zaraki looked satisfied. "So he does. I don't feel like asking questions now, so you'll explain everything to me in the morning," he said. "And I wouldn't leave, if I were you. Killing the Tigers gave you a pretty nasty reputation, you know. Most of the big gangs are out looking for you. You may have destroyed the Tigers, but the gangs out there are big in the bounty hunter business. Judging by your skill when I fought you, you might be lucky enough to survive two encounters. With the number of assassins out there, you'll be dead within two hours."

Yachiru sighed. His logic made sense. "Fine," she grumbled. "I'll sleep here tonight."

Review, please.


	4. It's Magic

It's Magic

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, Kubo Tite does. Copyright hounds, rest in peace.

A/N: Doesn't really matter, but does anyone who uses Word notice that the word count between word and the word count is off?

_"Hey, Saru," Yachiru said. "We're getting reports that hollows have been sighted down in the Real World. No contact with souls yet, but we'd better leave soon."_

_Saru sighed. "Small fries?"_

_"Yes," Yachiru said. "And it's our turn on duty, so we have to go."_

_Saru turned over his shoulder. "Hey, Takashi! Hollows! Get the squad ready to leave in a minute."_

_"OK!" Takashi shouted. He turned to the members of his squad. "Listen up, we've got a hollow reading in the real world. We leave ASAP."_

_The division members groaned. None of them were in the mood for a hollow hunt. Their captain was throwing a drinking party tonight, and any of them dying would definitely ruin the mood of Kyoraku-taichou's bing- er, party._

_----_

Yachiru knew exactly where she was when she woke up. The minute her eyes opened, she marched straight over to where Zaraki was lying on the riverbank and smothered him with a chloroform rag. Then she ran for it.

_"I can't let anyone find Saru or Takashi before me," she thought. "I have to lose that guy."_

She didn't make it ten feet before something landed in front of her. Frozen in shock, she only had a fraction of a second to register the sword pressed against her throat.

"If you didn't have information about Saru and Ryuuken," Zaraki said. "You would be dead right now. And for your information, chloroform doesn't work on me. Most conventional drugs don't. So don't even try."

Yachiru gulped. _"What the hell is this guy," she thought. "A demon?"_

"So," Zaraki said. "If you talk, then I get my answers, and if you don't, then I get to beat them out of you."

"Fine," Yachiru snarled. She sighed. "I came to Zaraki because I heard that Saru was here. However, people here tend to clam up around strangers. And since I don't really use your… unconventional questioning methods, I haven't gotten any answers. So, in a way, you're my biggest lead as well. Do you know where Saru or Ryuuken are?"

"Saru's dead," Zaraki bluntly said. "Ryuuken killed him. Most of Ryuuken's men were also killed, so he's in hiding."

"Ryuuken killed Saru?" Yachiru snapped. "That's impossible. He could never beat Saru in a fight. He didn't even know his Shikai."

"Well, now he does. And if Ryuuken couldn't kill Saru, could 500 milliliters of Firerock do the job?" Zaraki said.

Yachiru fell silent. "Let me guess: Ryuuken was wearing that suit of his when the Firerock blew."

"Got it in one," Zaraki said.

"So what do you what with Ryuuken?" Yachiru asked, feeling the answer.

"Saru was obviously on my side. He risked his life for me, and paid the price. When the Firerock exploded, I lost my memory, but I retained my killer intent," Zaraki said. "I want to meet him so I can rip him from limb to limb."

"Saru had to save you, didn't he?" Yachiru asked, surprised. "So, technically, you would have been the damsel-in-"

Zaraki glared. "There's a reason I'm called Demon, you know."

"Point taken. You want to kill Ryuuken, fine," she said. "But you're just ignoring the war around you? You're called 'Demon' and you're not getting involved in a war?"

"I have more important things to do," Zaraki impatiently said. "Work before play. Kill Ryuuken first before getting involved in the war, if it isn't over by the time Ryuuken's dead."

Yachiru stared. "What an uptight loser," she commented.

Zaraki drew his sword. "An uptight loser that could beat you into next year," Zaraki countered.

"Fair enough," she muttered.

"Now you give me my answers," Zaraki said. "Who were Ryuuken and Saru and why did they want to kill each other?"

"Fine," Yachiru said. "I'll tell you. Saru and I were once Shinigami. One day, we had a call for a hollow in the real world. It should have been bread and butter."

"The Tigers taking over the south-eastern neighborhood was also supposed to be bread and butter," Zaraki said. "What went horribly wrong?"

"The hollow was…strange. It had abnormal powers. Before we knew it, all the members of our squad were dead except for Saru and me."

_"You son of a bitch!" Saru screamed. "I'm gonna kill you! Flow, Mercury!" _

_The hollow narrowed its eyes. _ "Shikai, eh?"it thought_. This Shinigami had potential; he might even become a lieutenant one day, or, even worse, a captain. The hollow sighed. It had eaten its fill for the day, and didn't really want to expend any more energy, but it seemed that this Shinigami wasn't going to give him much of a choice._

_The metallic liquid flew towards the hollow. It grinned, and didn't even move out of the way. Just as the deadly liquid was about to chop the hollow up into little bits, something dove into Mercury's way to protect it._

_Saru's eyes widened. He dispersed the liquid away from the hollow. "W-what the hell," he stammered out. "Is that you, Nakamura?" _

_Nakamura looked up. His face contorted into an inhuman smile. Without warning, he drew his sword and attacked Saru. Saru quickly sealed his Shikai and raised his sword to block. He didn't even try attacking Nakamura. "B-but you're dead!" he exclaimed._

_Suddenly, Nakamura's head flew off. Saru looked up in surprise. "Yachiru!" he shouted. "What the hell! That was Naka-"_

_"It isn't Nakamura," Yachiru snapped. "Nakamura would _never _do something like that. He's being possessed by the hollow." She cut off Saru's protests. "They're dead, Saru!" Yachiru shouted. _

_The hollow chuckled. "There are only two of my kind in existence, in Hueco Muendo and Soul Society combined. Of course, I use techniques slightly different than my brother, but it works down to the same thing in the end: we're the strongest hollows of our generation. Be honored that you will die by my hand."  
_

_Suddenly, Saru appeared behind the hollow, arm outstretched. "Die by your hand?" he snarled, enraged. "DON'T' GIVE ME THAT BULLSHIT!" He grabbed the hollow by its tentacles and ripped them off._

_The hollow didn't even flinch. Instead, he smiled. "Why don't you take a look at your Zanpakuto," it sneered. _

_Mercury shattered in Saru's hands. Saru was unfazed. Using Shunpo to get behind the hollow, he chanted "Hado No. 63: Raikoho!"_

_The hollow was blasted off its feet. Several of its appendages either torn or completely destroyed, it slammed into the ground. _

_"I don't even need my Zanpakuto to polish of weaklings like you," Saru growled. He put his hand over the broken hilt of his sword. "And just to let you know… your shitty parlor tricks don't even work on me." Mercury reformed in his hands. He charged the hollow._

"What?" the hollow thought, amazed. "Did he just reform his Zanpakuto with his own Reiatsu alone?" _The hollow knew that it was going to die. That Shinigami had lieutenant-level reiatsu. He was out of its league. _"Of course, only my body will die," it thought. "I've still got energy for one more possession." _Without either of the two Shinigami noticing, it reached its hand over to the nearest corpse and injected its Reiryoku, seconds before its body was annihilated. _

_----_

"We didn't even know that the hollow had escaped until we couldn't find Takashi's corpse," Yachiru said. "Then we figured it out. The hollow, in Takashi's body, had retreated to Rukongai's Zaraki and became a money-obsessed thief. After that, Saru quit the Gotei 13 to hunt it down."

"Why did he quit?" I asked. "Couldn't he have just hunted the hollow down as a Shinigami?"

"The Central 46 would have never allowed it," Yachiru explained. "They would have just thrown more Shinigami at the hollow. They don't care about the casualties."

"And the hollow, Ryuuken, never even recognized Saru?" Zaraki asked.

"Saru probably used some Kido disguise to make his face appear different," Yachiru said. "The odds are that Ryuuken never recognized Saru as the Shinigami that had killed its body."

_"So that son of a bitch was a hollow all along," Zaraki thought. "Then, he won't have any Soul Society friends to run to. The only friends he has are other hollows…"_

"Hey, Yachiru," Zaraki said. "You used to be a Shinigami, right? Do you know any ways into Hueco Muendo?"

"I know what you're thinking, and it won't work. I already checked Hueco Muendo out when I was still a Shinigami," Yachiru said. "He's not there."

Zaraki smirked. "You went there when Ryuuken was still in Zaraki," he said. "Chances are he fled when his troops got scattered. And if he fled, the only place he could go would be Hueco Muendo."

"He might not have fled there. Remember, he could still be in one of the Rukongai districts, or maybe even the Real World. Even if Ryuuken is in Hueco Muendo, we can't do anything about it. The only portals to Hueco Muendo are the Garganta, and those can only be opened by hollows," she said. "So unless you have some magic way of teleporting us there, then we can't go."

Zaraki grinned. "Close enough. You still have some of those Shinigami hollow detectors?"

"Yes…" Yachiru said, apprehensive. "What exactly do you plan to do?"

"When the next hollow shows up, I'm going to perform a little magic trick. And the hollow will be my assistant," he said. (A/N: Dark Knight :D)

----

The hollow showed up near Rukongai's 15th district two weeks later. It was planning to go and eat some souls, and then return back to Hueco Muendo.

Of course, things rarely go exactly the way you want them to. The hollow's situation was a more extreme example.

It had barely walked two steps when it felt steel against its throat. It was experienced, however, and didn't freeze. It swung around, extending its hand to impale whoever had dared to attack him.

His hand was blocked in midair. Shocked, the hollow turned around and saw that the Shinigami had managed to catch his arm.

The hollow wasn't stupid. It knew that it was done for. Surprisingly, though, the Shinigami didn't go in for the kill.

"Well," the hollow growled. "What are you waiting for, Shinigami? Do it!"

"Well," Zaraki said, grinning. The hollow froze. The few times he had studied Shinigami's faces, they usually expressed either extreme fear or anger. The hollow had never seen glee during a battle. "Two things. One, I'm not a Shinigami. Two, I need to ask of you a favor."

"Favors?" the hollow asked, quickly becoming enraged. "I don't do favors for Shinigami scum!"

"What a poor choice of words," Zaraki said.

Yachiru was trying not to concentrate on the hollow's screams when they abruptly stopped. Zaraki came back with the hollow. "He'll open the Garganta," Zaraki said.

Yachiru looked at him dryly. "Did you give him a choice?" she asked.

"Unimportant," Zaraki quickly said. He turned to the hollow. "Okay, open it up."

----

Hueco Muendo is one of the most depressing places in the world. White sand stretches as far as the eye can see. An occasional quartz plant sprouts up every now and then, but is quickly lost in the sea of white.

Zaraki didn't give a damn that Hueco Muendo _looked _depressing. To him, it just _was _depressing: there wasn't a single hollow in sight. In fact, the only two things in sight were him and Yachiru, and he couldn't just fight Yachiru. Even if he did, it would be disappointing. She was a good fighter, excellent even by Zaraki district standards, but not good enough.

Disappointment practically oozed out of Zaraki. "Where are the hollows?" he asked bluntly.

Yachiru held up a bag, and tossed its contents onto the ground. "Coming," she said. "That's hollow bait. We'll have a fight on our hands either way, and that's good. If we're lucky, Ryuuken will be among the hollows, and if we're unlucky, he won't."

Zaraki looked at her disapprovingly. "If Ryuuken doesn't come, this whole thing will have been a waste," he commented.

"You're uptight," she countered.

"I'm _practical," _he said.

"You would also make a good bounty hunter," Yachiru teased. "I can see why Leader sent you."

"Shut up," Zaraki said.

A low growl interrupted their conversation. Zaraki drew his sword. "Looks like the uglies are here," he said.

Hollows began to swarm. Zaraki cut them down, one by one, with a bored expression on his face. He was here to find and kill Ryuuken, not to waste his time on pathetically weak small fries. The truth was that he liked fighting, but he avoided unnecessary battle. He had more important things to do than getting involved in petty skirmishes.

After fighting for over an hour, Zaraki began to become dangerously bored. He was barely putting any force behind his swings now, and he had a glazed expression over his eyes.

"Don't fall asleep now," Yachiru said. "Here come the Gilians."

The Gilians could be spotted from far away, towering over the normal hollows. They began to devour any unfortunate hollows that were in their paths.

Zaraki grinned. "That's more like it," he said, and leapt towards the Gilians.

One Gilian raised its arm in an attempt to knock him out of the sky. Not missing a beat, Zaraki landed on the arm, slicing it off and leaping out of the way a moment later. Surprised, the Gilian stumbled backwards, only to be impaled by Zaraki's sword. Enraged at the death of his comrade, another Gilian began to charge a Cero. It hit Zaraki point blank.

When the smoke cleared, the Gilian's head fell to the ground. "And what kind of weak-ass attack is that, huh?" Zaraki growled. "You people aren't even much better than normal hollows."

----

"Well," Zaraki said. "That sucked."

"Really?" Yachiru said. "I thought it was a good work-out."

"The entire trip was completely pointless," Zaraki said. "And I didn't even get a scar as a souvenir. Heck, they didn't even manage to land a hit on me."

"Hey," Yachiru mentioned. "At least we got a fight."

Zaraki stood up. "The fight was completely useless! It was completely unnecessary!"

Yachiru chuckled. "You sound like a pacifist," she commented. "At least you don't fight like one."

"What's the deal with you and you're obsession with fighting," Zaraki shouted. "I _like _it, but I don't crave it!"

Yachiru shrugged. "You do things your way, I do things my way." she said. "Time to go to sleep."

Zaraki didn't move. "If Ryuuken's not in Hueco Muendo , then where is he?" Zaraki asked. "We don't have any idea where he might be." Zaraki hit his fist against a tree.

"We'll think of something," Yachiru said. "Like you said, Ryuuken's laying low. We could always just wait for him to resurface."

"Fine," Zaraki said. "I'm going to go take a walk."

"That's not very fair," Yachiru commented. "You never let _me _take any walks."

"That's because I can actually survive with half the district's gangs after me," Zaraki countered. "Good night."

Review, please. If I have any grammar or spelling mistakes, please tell me.


	5. How to Fight

How to Fight

DISCAIMER: I don't own bleach. I have said so five times now.

When I returned, Yachiru was already asleep inside our makeshift shelter. My eyes lingered over her for a moment, and then I went outside to lie down by the riverbank.

The next day, I found Yachiru staring at the remains of the warehouse where Saru died. I walked next to her.

"Tell me about Saru," I said.

Yachiru looked at me. "Why do you want to know?" she asked.

"When I lost my memory, I lost anything I ever knew about Saru's personality," I explained. "He probably saved my life from Ryuuken, and I feel like I don't even know him, which is true."

"Well, I guess you're right…" Yachiru muttered. She paused, sighing. "Saru… he had this overwhelming urge to protect everyone around him."

I nodded. "That makes sense," I said. "He tried to protect me from Ryuuken."

"But the thing about him was that he would never protect people who could protect themselves, even if they were his closest friends," she mentioned. "He would always pity the weak and helpless and those that were weaker than him, but he never tried to defend those who could defend themselves. He always hunted down the hollows that killed his own squad members, but whenever he hunted down the hollows that had taken-out high ranking, capable, Shinigami that had died because they had underestimated their opponent, he never took it personally."

"That makes sense," I said.

Yachiru shrugged. "I guess so. He also valued his pride more than anything else. If he was ever facing a hollow that his friends thought that he couldn't beat, that might kill him, he would forbid them to interfere. 'If I die, I die,' he would say. 'Don't insult my pride as a Shinigami.' I'm pretty sure that he hunted down Ryuuken more as a matter of pride than anything else. Ryuuken had killed his entire squad, disgracing him as a squad leader in front of the Gotei 13 and as a competent warrior in his own eyes."

I chuckled, realizing something. "I guess that means he thought I was pretty helpless didn't he?" I asked, more stating a fact than asking a question.

Yachiru laughed. "Ya, I think you're right," she said. "Demon, the most feared man in Zaraki, a helpless little boy!"

I growled. "Shut up," I said.

Yachiru sighed. She abruptly drew her twin knives. "Fight me," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Why should I? You know that I'll beat you."

"Just do it," she growled. Then she charged me.

Her twin knives swung down in a deadly arc aimed for my head. I stepped backwards, lazily avoiding the blades. I drew my sword. Leaping over her head, I slashed downwards at her knives with lightning speed. Yachiru barely managed to block. Not waiting for her to recover, I landed, pivoted, and kicked her in the back, sending her flying into a tree.

She landed into the tree with a loud crunch. I didn't bother to go over to check on her, instead shouting "You Okay?" to Yachiru.

She stood up shakily, brushing off splinters of the tree.

"What was that about?" I asked.

"Teach me how to fight," Yachiru said.

"Come again?" I asked, disbelieving of what I had heard. "I've never had any training in my life. How am I supposed to _teach_ you?"

"That's the thing!" Yachiru spat. "You've never received any training in your life, but you could probably match a Shinigami Vice-Captain! I'm not really asking you to teach me, I'm just asking you for what your secret is."

"Secret?" I asked. "I don't have any secrets on how to fight. I just… do it." I wasn't lying. I honestly had no idea what she was talking about.

"Well," Yachiru said. "Common sense says that you do."

I laughed. "Common sense," I said. "I've never had a useless thing like that for as long as I can remember!"

Yachiru sighed. She drew her knives again. "Let's go again," she said. "I guess if I fight you enough, I can figure the bullshit subconscious thing that you're pulling."

She charged me.

----

Three hours later and she still hadn't improved. Her fighting style had become more complicated as she attempted to execute elaborate feints. I just chuckled, disarmed her, and kicked her backwards into something. The tree was a pile of splinters now, so I had to use other objects. Soon, they were destroyed as well.

She recovered from my blows more slowly each time. Finally, she couldn't even get up. "I just don't understand," she growled, lying on the ground. "I tried attacking you from different angles each time, but nothing touched you. And I could _see _how you would respond each time."

"Um…" I muttered. "Just so you know, I don't really believe in 6th Senses and bullshit like that."

Yachiru glared. "It's not sixth sense," she said. "An Academy student would be able to see through your moves. They're that predictable. You fight like an animal, without any forethought or planning at all."

I laughed. "Well, I sure as hell couldn't see through your battle plan, but it was pretty weak, whatever it was." I ducked into the tent and grabbed a loaf of bread and some meat. I broke the bread in half, tossing one part to Yachiru and saving one for myself. I bit into mine. It was delicious, some of the best bread I had ever tasted. I put the meat on a makeshift carving board and cut it into pieces. It, too, was excellent.

Yachiru obviously agreed with me. "Where did you get this stuff, Zaraki?" she asked. "I've never tasted anything as good as this in the higher districts."

I grinned at her. "Have you guys ever tried teaching your prissy Academy recruits a bit about pickpockets?"

Yachiru laughed. "When incompetent noble rookies who skip the tests upset the veterans, they respond by sending them to patrol places like this," she said. "And they _always _have the best food on them. I don't even think that they noticed, they have so much."

I chuckled. "Saru always wanted me not to steal from them, I remember that," I said. "I guess he must have categorized nobles under 'weak and helpless'."

Yachiru smiled. I had never noticed before, but her smile was beautiful. Suddenly, she frowned. I almost responded in turn, because her beautiful smile was gone, but stopped myself. "What's wrong?" I asked.

"Lemme try fighting you again," she said.

I stood up, drawing my sword. "Pray that you're better than last time," I teased.

"Oh, shut up," she growled. Drawing her twin blades, she hit the hilts together. "Twirl, Dancing Wind!"

The hilts fused, and both the daggers' blades extended outwards. Clouds of dust spun up around Yachiru.

I snorted in distaste. "You Shinigami," I muttered. "You're always relying on you Zanpakuto to do the job. Have you ever tried relying on your own strength instead of your sword's for once?"

Yachiru frowned. "Our Zanpakuto are manifestations of our very souls. We are one with them."

"Manifestations, my ass," I muttered in a low voice. She didn't seem to hear me. Even if Zanpakuto were "manifestations" of the Shinigami themselves, wouldn't they have their own wills, and their own instincts? Who were the Shinigami to tell the Zanpakuto what to do? The Zanpakuto had the right to rebel, didn't they? I decided not to voice my opinions. I surmised that it was one of the questions that you never asked.

Yachiru shunpoed behind me and began to attack me with renewed vigor. Spinning the staff-like weapon towards me, she attempted to get from behind. I raised my hand and knocked her Zanpakuto aside. Drawing my sword, I attempted to swipe at her midsection, only to have the lower half of her strange weapon block my strike. With my sword out of the way, she aimed a kick at my head.

Her kick connected, all right. I didn't have any time to react to her speed, let alone dodge. The thing was, the kick didn't hurt. I grabbed her leg, wrenched it off my face, and threw her.

At least, I tried to. Normally, this would have been the end of one of her better sparring matches. This time, she grabbed onto my head, using my tall figure as leverage to stop herself. Flipping over to my side, she swung her weapon at my chest. I blocked, but the other end swung towards my head. It whipped up wind as it raced towards my face, pushing me back. Damn Zanpakuto effects.

Yachiru was doing much better than usual. Of course, part of her success was due to her Zanpakuto release, but I had to attribute some of her performance to her new style. Now, she was attacking without hesitation, following her instincts.

I decided to pull the stops. I imagined a glowing golden aura surrounding me. I could feel strength surge into my limbs, empowering me. I grinned manically. Playtime was over.

Dancing Wind hit me square across the face. Right before impact, I saw Yachiru's eyes widen. Maybe if she had been fighting as she usually did, it wouldn't have made contact. But it did.

The blade acted like it was rusty and decrepit. It could barely even feel it. My skin tore, but no blood came out. It looked like I had been attacked by a 7-year old.

If Yachiru was surprised at my lack of reaction, she was stunned now. Not waiting for her to recover, I swept my sword up to her neck, and gently prodded it. "Dead," I said, smirking. "Granted, you did a lot better, but you still need work."

She didn't drop the "stunned" expression.

I shrugged. "Ok, so your sword doesn't work on me," I said. "So what? Maybe my skin's messed up or something like that." I was unconcerned mainly because I was just happy for her. She had gotten stronger, and wasn't that cause for celebration? The look on her face, however, told me that something serious was going on.

"This is a Zanpakuto," she said. "Some skin mutation, no matter _how _messed up, isn't going to stop it. Unless it is met by reiatsu greater than or equal to it, it will cut through whatever it touches." Yachiru's eyes suddenly widened. Her expression was one of shock. "Your sword," she abruptly said. "Swing it with all your strength at my Zanpakuto."

I raised my eyebrows. Her strange weapon had struck my sword several times during the fight, yet nothing strange had happened. Why now?

Ignoring the questions that I had, I swung my sword. Nothing out of the ordinary happened that I could perceive. When it hit her blade, however, Yachiru's eyes widened. She pointed at me, incredulous.

"D-do you have any incredibly vivid dreams," she stammered. "In which you find yourself in a foreign landscape with only one other person in it?"

I frowned. "No," I said. "What are you smoking?"

"That sword," she said in a firmer voice. "Where did you get it?"

I shrugged. The questions were becoming kind of annoying. "Dunno," I replied. "Must have been one of Ryuuken's men's swords. Don't know why it's so notched and pathetic looking, however."

And then it happened. Almost imperceptibly, my sword vibrated, tickling my hand. I could feel unease in the back of my mind, something, someone, almost grumbling at me.

I quickly dropped the sword. "What the hell!" I shouted.

"I knew it!" Yachiru muttered.

"Seriously!" I shouted. "What the hell is happening!" I was getting angry. I could feel myself getting worked up.

Yachiru suddenly looked up. Her eyes widened, and her forehead started beading sweat. Her breathing grew labored. "S-st-," she choked out.

I quickly rushed forward, to catch her if she fell. Instantly, her strange symptoms disappeared. I hadn't noticed it when I had been stressed out, but my muscles, which had been tensed, relaxed. Yachiru began taking deep breathes. "Haven't met reiatsu that strong since I walked in on captains sparring," she muttered.

Reiatsu? I raised an eyebrow. "What's that?" I asked.

"Spiritual Pressure," she said. "Something exclusively possessed by two things: Shinigami, and Hollows." Yachiru looked me in the eye. "You're a Shinigami."

What? Shinigami? I was definitely not a Shinigami. No cheesy black robes, unfair Zanpakuto effects, high-speed motion or explosive spells.

I can only assume that while I was thinking my face had assumed a blank expression, because Yachiru snapped "Wipe that idiotic look of your face."

I finally managed to open my mouth. "Shinigami?" I asked. "I can't be a Shinigami. For one, I don't have those fancy swords you guys have-"

Yachiru cut me off with an impatient hand gesture. "Yes," she said rather impatiently. "You do. Crazy Wind managed to get a glimpse of him during the battle and when I told you to strike her. There is a soul inside of that sword, believe it or not. And it wants to talk to you, to become stronger with you."

That piqued my interest. I looked at my sword. "Well," I said slowly. "I sure as hell don't want to get stronger with it."

Yachiru stared. "What was that?"

"Look," I said. "I don't have any interest holding a sword's hand in a 'bond of trust' bullshit thing, and I sure as hell am not interested in _it _holding _my _hand along the way."

"Um…" Yachiru muttered. "They have feelings, you know."

"Not to me," I grumbled. I swung my sword at a nearby rock, which was destroyed immediately. I nodded, satisfied. "As long as it can still cut, I'm perfectly fine not knowing who it is or what it looks like. It's just a sword." Saying so, I sheathed it.

"What I am interested in, however," I put in. "Isn't Kido, Shunpo, or any of that other stuff. I'm interested in that Reiatsu thing you told me about. Where exactly does it come from?"

Yachiru shrugged. "The freaks up at 12th could probably answer this better than me," she said. "But I'm pretty sure that's it's a directly related to the amount of Reiryoku, or Spiritual Power you have."

I pressed onwards. Spiritual Power sounded rather enticing. "And this Reiryoku, where does that come from?"

"It's just…" Yachiru said, pausing. She stopped talking to think. "I guess the amount of Reiryoku you have is just a part of you, like hair color and height."

"So…," I said, beginning to grin. I pictured the aura again, and the feeling that had flooded my body when the sword had materialized in my hand. Power coursed through my veins, and golden mist floated off my skin. "Is this a lot of Reiatsu?"

Yachiru gulped. "Yes," she said finally. "It is a tremendous amount."

I nodded, satisfied. Flexing my arm, I allowed the amount of Reiatsu I was putting out to gradually drop, but I didn't let it completely disappear.

Yachiru noticed this. "You're still putting in a conscious effort to emit Reiatsu, aren't you?" she asked.

I grinned. "I figured that if I emit this much all the time," I explained. "It will eventually become automatic. I can train myself to increase my power."

Yachiru winced. "It's still pretty uncomfortable standing around you," she complained.

I chuckled. "Wimp," I teased.

----

That night, Zaraki and Yachiru were abruptly woken from their sleep by very loud noises. The noises were drunken people, staggering about. Finally, in their alcoholic stupor, they managed to stumble into Zaraki's makeshift tent.

Zaraki woke up almost immediately. Noting with dissatisfaction that he had inadvertently turned off his Reiatsu in his sleep, he let it flare up just a bit. He would have to figure out some way to prevent that from happening, he decided.

One of the drunkards reached for Yachiru, brushing her blond hair off her face. Amazingly, she was still asleep.

The drunkards began to leer. "Hey beautiful," they jeered. "Why don't you come with us? Boss'll be reaaaalllly nice to you."

That woke her up. Before she could kill the man, however, Zaraki was holding him by the throat. Surprisingly, however, the man didn't scream (or try to) or pass out. Instead, he grinned and snapped his fingers.

In his half-asleep half-awake state, Zaraki was a bit too slow. A long chain of a chain-sickle wrapped itself around his waist, yanking him backwards, forcing him to let go of the man. He stumbled to the ground, fully awake now. It was obvious that these were no drunkards. They all had skulls tattooed on their necks. The name of their gang was the "Prancing Ponies that Live On Rainbows". No, stupid, it was the "Skulls". Hence the skulls on their necks. Very imaginative.

Zaraki found himself facing twenty to thirty of the Skull members. The two original members joined their comrades. The one who was obviously the leader had a sickle-chain in his hands.

He laughed. It was an ugly laugh. "Well, Demon," he mocked. "We outnumber you 30-1. Join us, or die."

Zaraki was not scared. He rarely was. He quickly analyzed the situation. Yachiru had already scrambled out of the tent and was looking to him for instructions. The gang obviously wasn't very bright. They hadn't surrounded the camp, and there were escape routes everywhere. There wasn't any need to get involved in a fight. It would be a pointless waste of time.

Zaraki pulled out all the stops on his Reiatsu, and drew his sword. "To the contrary," he said, grinning. "Put up a good fight, or else this is gonna be a mess. I wanna have some heads I can mount so that nobody's stupid enough to try this again."


	6. The New King

The New King

A/N: This chapter contains spoilers up until the latest Bleach chapter. Big ones. The previous ones, I guess, didn't really spoil anything happening in the main storyline, but still.

The Central 46 is not concerned with many things. However, whenever they_ are_ concerned, they have good reason. Keeping the Gotei 13 Captains in line is one of their more minor problems. Maintaining their power is more serious than that. Finally, one of their largest concerns are the higher numbered Rukongai districts. They consider it to be an area that is violate, unpredictable, and inclined to revolt at any time. They are right.

So, when the reports of Demon came into their Chamber, the Central 46 had mixed feelings. Demon could keep the Zaraki residents in line, of course, but he could also lead them to revolt. They decided that they would ignore him for now. If he stepped out of line, they would send in the Gotei 13.

They really didn't know how much trouble Demon would give them in future years.

----

Zaraki residents are not scared by many things. However, when they _are _scared, whoever they're scared of will be dangerous. Almost as dangerous as a candy-deprived Yachiru, but that's not the point. She doesn't even exist yet.

Demon's reputation only grew when he wiped out the Skulls. He threw their bodies into a pit, far away from his camp so it wouldn't smell, and in a year came back, got the skulls, and mounted them on stakes. The stakes were put up in a 50 meter radius around his camp. Just to be safe, people made it a general rule to stay half a kilometer away from the designated perimeter. To them, walking in there was just a suicidal as walking into a hollow's mouth.

Even when Demon decided to take a little walk, most people would stay far away. Sometimes, a couple gang members would decide to cross his path. Zaraki would usually give them five seconds to move, and then he would fight them. He was always disappointed with the quality of the fights.

Back at the camp, Yachiru was feeling kind of nauseous. She was a hardened warrior, but the skulls were a bit excessive. Especially since some of them weren't completely decomposed.

She groaned. "Hey, Zaraki!" she shouted. "You wanna take down the skulls?"

Zaraki looked up. "Why?" he asked. "I like them. They conveyed the message pretty well. And ever since I put them up, the only people who walked in here were actually pretty decent fighters."

"Yeah, well," Yachiru grumbled. "I think everybody got the message already."

"Oh, fine," Zaraki said. "I'll take them down tomorrow." He stood up. "I'm gonna find a hollow, pay Hueco Muendo another visit."

"Why?" Yachiru asked.

"To find some decent fighters," Zaraki replied. "Compared to the street trash walking around here, the hollows don't seem that bad at all."

Yachiru shrugged. "What's with the sudden change of heart?" she asked. "The old, boring you would never do something like this."

Zaraki chuckled. "When the Skulls showed up, that night, I had an epiphany," he said. Yachiru raised her eyebrows, her expression one of mild amusement. "Yes, I know, only geeky scholars are supposed to have those. But I did."

"See, look at you," he explained. "You'll pick a fight with anyone because it's fun."

Yachiru nodded in agreement. She was listening intently. "And what about you?" she asked.

"I have a mission," Zaraki replied. "To kill Ryuuken. And to do that, I need strength. You, too, need strength to continue fighting. And I fight to acquire strength. Whoever seeks strength seeks to fight."

Yachiru nodded. "Makes sense," she said.

Zaraki grinned. "So, if you seek strength, the only sensible way to do things," he said, drawing his sword. "Is to follow your instincts. To take your sword, and cut down anyone who challenges you, and to challenge any fighters you meet."

Zaraki suddenly looked disgusted. "And this place," he said. "Is pathetic. I mean, isn't it supposed to be the thug center?"

Yachiru cleared her throat. "Um," she muttered. "Have you ever considered that maybe you're too strong for the people here?"

"Well," Zaraki said. "That's their problem, isn't it?"

Yachiru grinned. "Guess so," she said. "Don't get yourself killed out there."

Zaraki chuckled. "Do you really have that little faith in me?" Sword drawn, he walked out.

----

"Aizen-sama."

Aizen looked down at his subordinate. "Yes, Gin?"

Gin looked up, his eyes slits and his ever-present grin plastered on his face. They were in the grand palace of Las Noches. Aizen had instructed Tosen to put up Kido barriers so that no wandering hollows could find the place, learn sensitive information, and get captured by Shinigami. While some of the hollows in Hueco Muendo knew honor, most were pathetic thieves or bandits in their previous lives, and knew little of respect or discretion. They would give up information to save their life without hesitating. The barriers would come down in time, but for now, Aizen was running his show behind the Shinigami's backs.

Gin continued to smile. Aizen considered ordering him to wipe the creepy smile of his face, but decided against it. It would make him appear weak.

Gin cleared his throat. "Firstly, it seems that the escaped experimental hollow has found its way to Seireitei. I believe it is posing as a Shinigami captain."

Aizen was expressionless. He had his glasses off, revealing his menacing eyes, and his hair was swept back. Whenever he sat on the throne in Las Noches, he preferred this look. Much more intimidating, he thought, than a small, unassuming man with kindly eyes.

"And secondly," Gin put it. "A couple Adjuchas have reported someone running rampant through Hueco Muendo."

This interested Aizen. Of course, only the most experienced people could detect the slight twitch in his lips. "Running rampant?" he repeated.

Gin's smile widened. It wasn't very often that he could surprise Aizen. "Yes," he said. "It appears that a tall, dark haired man just randomly dropped in on a Garganta and started challenging everyone in sight. He's a very capable fighter, as well."

"Is he a Shinigami?" Aizen asked.

"The reports don't give much description about his clothing," Gin replied. "However, the Adjuchas did report a golden aura around the man. Most likely Reiatsu."

Aizen nodded. "Send Luisenbarn after him."

Gin was shocked, but didn't show it. At least, most people wouldn't be able to detect his shock. Aizen however, saw right through him. "I know Luisenbarn is one of our strongest Arrancar, Gin," he explained. "But he hates me. One day, he might even make an attempt on my life. I want him either out of the way or at least doing something useful."

Gin nodded. _"As manipulative as always," he thought._ "Yes, sir."

----

Barragan Luisenbarn was not happy. He was, in fact, disgusted with his pathetic self. As he sat in his room, he looked up at the ceiling. "Damn it," he said to himself. "There is _no _ceiling in my palace."

But it wasn't his palace anymore. There was another person sitting on _his _throne, and another person calling _himself _the king of Hueco Muendo. And it had all happened because he was too weak. Too pathetic.

"One day," he swore to himself. "I'll have Aizen's head."

A couple minutes later his door swung open, and that silver-haired man, Gin, walked in.

"Aizen-sama wants you to take care of a problem for him," he said, smiling. "There is someone rampaging around in Hueco Muendo, and he wants you to kill him."

Barragan fumed. That bastard didn't' even have the courtesy to knock, and know he was ordering him, Barragan Luisenbarn, around!

"And why the hell should I do it?" Barragan asked.

Gin raised his eyebrows, amused. "All y'all new recruits are all the same," he said, chuckling. "Yer _indebted _to Aizen-sama for giving you yer power. You are under his command, and if you disobey him, he will kill you."

Barragan mentally sighed, cursing himself. "Fine," he barked. "I'll do it."

Gin paid no notice to his rude tone. He knew that all the new recruits would smoothen out over time. He left, not bothering to close the door behind him.

Barragan sat down, and put his head in his hands. Here he was, swearing to himself that he would kill Aizen, and now he was being ordered around by him. He was a subordinate, and would always be one.

----

Zaraki was having the time of his life. Or, at least, the last few months. These hollows were proving much better than he had expected. Some of them even had this strange skin, which put up resistance to his blows. Surprised for only a couple seconds after encountering the new hollows, Zaraki adjusted to it quickly. Fighting them was very good for improving the strength of his swing, he decided.

Suddenly, something blasted aside the more weak hollows away. The stronger ones, with the tough skin, backed away respectfully, obviously recognizing the figure that stood before them. The more impudent ones were dispatched with ease.

Zaraki looked up, excited. This guy might actually be pretty strong.

When the hollows had stepped aside and retreated, Zaraki could finally get a good look at his challenger. He was rather disappointed. He was dark skinned, with white hair, and a crown shaped bone perched on his head. He did not look rather imposing.

"Who the hell are you?" Zaraki called out.

Barragan paused. He had been instructed to refer to himself as an Arrancar, to explain, if prompted, what an Arrancar was, but to not, under any circumstances, reveal _who _had performed the procedure on him. Aizen had obviously decided that confused rumors on the existence of Arrancar would further his cause. Barragan noted that if there would be any rumors, it would be because he had been defeated, and presumably, killed. That wasn't going to happen. _"Well," he thought. "If that's the case, and I'm supposed to act as if Aizen has no hand in this, I suppose I should act as if I still retain my former title."_

"Barragan Luisenbarn," he replied. "Arrancar, and King of Hueco Muendo."

Zaraki raised an eyebrow. "What's an Arrancar?" he asked. "Does it have to do with the fact that you don't have a mask?"

"Yes," Barragan said. "I'm here to kill you. Prepare to die."

Zaraki grinned. "King, eh?" he said. "I hope you're strong."

Barragan chuckled to himself. This impudent fool of a Shinigami was in for a surprise. He drew Gran Caida, and Sonidoed behind Zaraki.

Zaraki saw him every step of the way, and was swinging his sword up to defend even before Barragan had his axe raised. The two weapons, clashed and sparks flew. Barragan pressed forward, attacking savagely. Finally, Barragan managed to slice Zaraki across the chest. Gran Caida hit Zaraki's torso, throwing up sparks.

Zaraki jumped back, grinning. "You know," he mocked. "For a king, you'd better be holding back."

Barragan frowned. He'd underestimated the Shinigami. It was time to get more serious. Letting a little more of Reiatsu seep through, he attacked Zaraki with renewed vigor.

Zaraki raised his eyebrows. If this strange Hollow was raising the stakes, he could only respond in turn. He, also, let loose more of his reiatsu.

Finally, Zaraki managed to gain the upper hand. Disarming Barragan, he knocked Gran Caida to the side and put his sword to Barragan's throat.

Zaraki's eyes narrowed. "You're not a king," he accused. "You fight like someone who follows. Like a subordinate. Like an invalid. You're worthless."

Barragan hung his head. The Shinigami was right. He knew that he could just release his Resureccion and kill the man, but what was the point? He would still be a subordinate. Barragan looked up at Zaraki. "Kill me," he commanded.

Zaraki sheathed his sword. "No," he replied.

"Then I'll fucking do it myself!" Barragan shouted, in a rare moment of emotion.

"And then I'll be sure to spit in your reincarnation's face when you show up in Soul Society," Zaraki said, quietly. "For being such a fucking coward. You were once a king, I can tell. And now, you're just a subordinate, and someone's sitting on your throne, and you're not doing a fucking thing about it. I'm not going to kill someone who's _that pathetic. _It's disgusting."

Barragan fell silent.

"So go," Zaraki commanded. "And kill that man, or die trying. And if you die trying to kill him, then you'll know that you didn't' die being someone's subordinate."

Barragan raised his arm. Gran Caida flew to his hand. Zaraki could see a new fire burning in his eyes.

"Two more things," Zaraki put in. "Firstly, make sure you're stronger the next time I meet you, cause I probably will be. And secondly, would you mind opening a Garganta?"

"No," Barragan said, shaking his head and opening the Garganta. "Not at all. This will take you to Soul Society."

Without another word, Zaraki stepped into the Garganta.

----

"So, Barragan," Aizen said. "Did you kill the intruder?"

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Barragan responded.

Aizen knew that Barragan was lying. He just couldn't pinpoint exactly why. Reports of the intruder had vanished, so he had apparently left Hueco Muendo. He decided not to pursue the subject further. It was a minor thing.

----

Aizen does not sleep in his throne room. He has his own living quarters. And sometimes, the throne room is abandoned.

When the opportunity presented itself, Barragan walked into the throne room, undetected. He sat down on the throne, relieving the memories of when he used to be King.

Abruptly standing up, he placed his hands on the throne. Then he wrenched it out of the ground. Kneeling, he tapped the broken legs of the throne, and a new one, exactly the same, grew in its place.

Barragan walked outside, into the sands of Hueco Muendo. _"The endless sand is the floor of Las Noches," he thought. "And the sky is its ceiling." _He set the throne of the Hueco Muendo's king on the desert floor. Raising his index, middle and ring finger, he charged a Cero, blowing a hole into the Hueco Muendo's sand. Hoisting the throne up effortlessly, he tossed it in the hole.

_"I don't know who the King of Hueco Muendo is," he confessed to himself. "It might not be me, but it sure as hell isn't some Shinigami bastard. One day, I'm going to overthrow him or die trying. And if I die doing it, someone will do it, someday. And then we'll have a real King ruling Hueco Muendo. And if and when I reclaim my throne, then I'll take it back from Hueco Muendo's sands."_

----

The hollow flexed its fingers. The Shinigami form was confining, but not enough to significantly slow his movements.

When it had arrived in Seireitei, it had been challenged by the 11th division captain. And subsequently, the hollow had killed it. The hollow had acquired Bankai in the Shinigami's body, and the captain was no match for it.

The Captain's subordinates, surprisingly, accepted, almost welcomed, the hollows as their new captain. It seemed that the division would openly welcome whoever was the strongest.

The hollow was biding its time. When he had inspected the Shinigami's corpse, he had found the Kido disguise. The Shinigami underneath the mask was the one who it had met, all those years ago. The hollow had taken the mask. Now, it looked completely different. Unrecognizable. It would never return to Zaraki again.

Instead, it would pose as a captain, secretly consuming the hollows that it killed. And when the time was right, he would kill that old geezer that led them all, and return to Hueco Muendo, a hero.

That was his plan.

Plans never work the way you want them to.

Review, Please


	7. You Can Always Have Too Many Friends

You Can Never Have Too Many Enemies

A/N: I call Captains by what they usually want others to refer to themselves as. For example, Hitsugaya Toshirou prefers being referred to as Hitsugaya-taichou (formal) whereas someone like Kyoraku Shunsui prefers being referred to as just Shunsui (casual).

Yachiru was waiting for Zaraki when he came back to the camp. Zaraki frowned.

"How did you know I was coming?" he asked.

"Your reiatsu," Yachiru responded. "An academy student could hide his reiatsu better than you."

Zaraki raised an eyebrow. "Why would someone want to hide their reiatsu?"

"You really that stupid?" Yachiru asked, looking at Zaraki as if he had dropped in from Mars. "Know anything about stealth, the element of surprise, any of that stuff?"

"No," Zaraki replied bluntly.

Yachiru sighed. "So," she asked, changing the subject. "How was Hueco Muendo?"

"Some of the best fights I've ever had," he responded. "I really should visit that place more often."

Yachiru abruptly stood up. "I'm going to go meditate," she called out.

"Meditate?" Zaraki asked, incredulous. "Why?"

"To, as my Academy teacher used to say," Yachiru responded, adopting a lower voice. "Further our relationship with our Zanpakuto and to exercise our mind, body, and soul."

Zaraki frowned. "And why…" he asked. "Would you want to do all that crap?"

"The second half is bullshit," she responded. "The first part, however, is actually useful. Shinigami meditate to communicate with our Zanpakuto, to train with them, and to, yes, 'further our relationships' with them."

Zaraki snorted. "Typical Shinigamis," he muttered.

----

"I believe that all the issues concerning the Captains have been addressed," Yamamoto Genryuusai thundered. "Let the Captains meeting adjourn."

As the Gotei 13 Captains filed out, one man with a straw hat hurried to catch up to another man, with long, white hair. At first glance, straw hat would appear to be gay. He was wearing a pink coat with flowers on it, for Kami's sake. However, to those who knew the true Kyoraku Shunsui, he was not gay. He was far from it. He was a despicable womanizer.

However, he was also one of the more seasoned Captains, with a long list of notable accomplishments and several battle scars adorning his body. He was one of the most respected Shinigami in Seireitei.

His companion, Ukitake Jyuushiro, was as respected as he was. While frail, the Captain was an extremely skilled fighter.

Tilting his hat to block out the sun, Shunsui acknowledged his friend with a nod. "So, Juushiro," he said. "What do you think of the new Captain?"

Juushiro narrowed his eyes. "I understand his method of becoming Captain," he said, slowly. "Most 11th Captains got their positions in the same way. What I don't like about him is the way his eyes lit up when we began to discuss funding."

Shunsui nodded. "Well, you know, it wouldn't be the first Captain who craved money a bit too much," he put in.

Juushiro's eyes hardened. "Yes, well," he said. "You remember how the last one turned out."

"Well," Shunsui commented. "You always have to feed beasts once in a while. How is Soukyoku any different?"

Juushiro nodded, conceding his point. "True, true," he said. Suddenly spotting a flash of white, his eyes lit up. "Toushiro!" he called out. "Over here!"

The petite captain walked over. He considered asking, for the umpteenth time, for Juushiro to call him "Histugaya-taichou", or at least "Hitsugaya". After all, he'd only become captain a year ago, and already the 13th division captain was treating him like an old friend, and, even worse, like a child. The shower of sweets almost sickened Hitsugaya. Fortunately, Hinamori was more than willing to lighten his burden.

He respectfully bowed to the two older captains. "Yes, Ukitake-taichou?" he asked.

The senior captain waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need to be that formal, Toshirou-kun," Juushiro chided. Leaning in, he whispered in a conspiring tone "After all, we're both Shiro-chans, aren't we?"

Inside his mind, Hitsugaya's Ice Ring began to laugh. He wouldn't stop for another ten minutes.

Juushiro's face turned serious. "Well, anyways," he said. "What do you make of the new Captain?"

Hitsugaya was taken aback. He was the youngest and freshest Captain in Gotei 13 history, and he already being asked questions directly by two of the most respected Shinigami in Seireitei.

"I-I'm not so sure I'm very well suited to answer that-," Hitsugaya stammered out, until Shunsui interrupted him.

"Well," he said. "I think the reason Juushiro's asking you is _because _you're a fresh captain. And so is Kenpachi. Compare yourself to him."

Hitsugaya frowned. Come to think of it, he had noticed something rather odd. "Well," he began slowly. "I did notice he seemed a bit too sure of himself for a newly initiated Captain. When I first became Captain, I was rather disoriented. However, Kenpachi seemed very confident, like there was a very specific reason why he was a Captain."

As the three Captains were speculating about the newest Captain, none of them knew exactly how serious the situation really was.

----

Zaraki walked out of the bar, humming.

There was no doubting the evidence. A bald man with considerable fighting skills had been sighted in the 75th. Naturally, the moment the information reached the 80th district Zaraki had been told. He had promised his informant that he could piss him off once, and he wouldn't be killed.

As he walked to the riverbank where their camp was set up, he called out to Yachiru. When she didn't come over, he walked around the camp, frowning.

He found her on the other side of the camp, in deep meditation. He contemplated rudely snapping her out of her trance by kicking her. He found this to be hugely disrespectful, and decided against it.

Zaraki walked inside the camp, brought out a frying pan, and slammed her halfway across the district. "Idiotic meditation," he muttered. "Can't she at least spar or something?"

A couple seconds later, Yachiru managed to halt her trajectory, and shunpoed back to Zaraki. Drawing her sword, she rocketed towards Zaraki, hissing "Fucker."

The epic battle could be heard all around Zaraki as Demon attempted to defend himself with a frying pan from a crazed Shinigami.

"Zaraki, you bastard," seethed Yachiru, as she blasted Zaraki backwards with her Zanpakuto's effect. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU! I WAS SO CLOSE TO MATERIALIZATION!"

Zaraki ignored her Shinigami/Zanpakuto bond of trust bullshit. Deciding to end the fight, he maxed out his reiatsu, blasting Yachiru backwards.

Zaraki quickly ran over to the crater. "Now that you're all calmed down and immobilized," he said. "I've found out where Ryuuken is."

----

The 75th district was not proud of its own "Devil". His power rivaled that of Demon, from Zaraki. All he did was sit in a clearing and wait for the next person to walk into it. If someone did walk into the kilometer radius that made up his territory, he would consider it as a challenge. The first few unfortunate farmers that had walked into it had managed to escape, albeit with several cuts. After the news had spread around the district, bandits began to show up. After about three days, they stopped. The 75th enjoyed a sudden drop in petty crimes.

That was when the problems began. Obviously bored, Devil had begun to take to drinking. He would waltz into the local bar, and begin ordering sake. He continued ordering sake for the better part of the afternoon, even when he ran out of money. All bars in the 75th had immediately acquiesced to his request for a personal drinking account. Devil's account was bottomless, and he ordered sake for the entire bar. The bartender had no choice but to comply with his demands. Eventually, somebody got so drunk that they would stand up and make a mildly offensive comment towards Devil. This usually resulted in the destruction of the bar and the immediate hospitalization of the majority of its occupants.

So, when Demon strolled into the 75th, its inhabitants rejoiced. While violent, they were not as thuggish as the 80th, and Devil's disrupting presence was not as welcome as it would have been in a place like Zaraki. They welcomed the prospect of one monster dueling another. Devil was renowned for battling to the death, so one of the monsters was bound to be killed. If they struck gold, they might kill each other.

----

"Ikkaku…," Devil's companion whined. He was tugging on his friend's arm in a very intimate fashion. His partner thought that he was gay. Most people did. "It's soooo borrringg…. And even worse, everybody's here is soooo uggllly…."

Ikkaku hit Yumichika on the head. "Don't worry, Yumi," he said. "I gotta feeling today's going to be a blast. Now go get some more booze. I think the local bars are scared of me."

"The people there are ugly also."

"Just go, you prick," Ikkaku replied.

----

Zaraki had not been expecting any sort of welcome, let alone a fanfare as he walked into the 75th district. However, it was apparent that the citizens clearly objected to Ryuuken's presence inside their District. Zaraki mentally shrugged. His District had done it for years without any significant complaint. What pansys.

Yachiru had followed him along. He made no attempt to dissuade her. Ryuuken had, after all, killed one of her closest friends.

Ducking into the nearest bar to ask for directions, he was met by a sudden flurry of weapons. However, the bars occupants quickly noticed that the newcomer was _not _Devil, and laid down their arms. Zaraki couldn't help but let a wave of disappointment wash over him. However, he consoled himself with the fact that the fight of his life was soon to be on his hands.

"Where's Devil?" he shouted out. He had heard of Ryuuken's adopted name in this district from listening in on the locals.

After getting directions, he went back outside, where Yachiru had stayed. She avoided going into bars whenever she could. She said it was an inbred instinct that was in all women who had been in the 8th division. Zaraki had heard the stories about her captain.

Half an hour later, he strode into Ryuuken's clearing. He took one look at the man in the center of it and walked right back out, shouting obscenities left and right as he went. He couldn't believe his luck.

It wasn't Ryuuken. _It wasn't fucking Ryuuken._ _IT WASN'T FUCKING RYUUKEN!!!!_ Exactly _how _shitty could his luck get? How many bald guys with moderately good fighting skills can exist in this world?

He was interrupted from his thoughts by a spike of reiatsu. He turned, surprised, to Yachiru, who had, in turn, turned in surprise to him. It wasn't either of their reiatsus. It wasn't weak, but not incredibly strong. Zaraki smiled. At least there was compensation. Sensing the killer intent emanating from his opponent, Zaraki turned around, and released some of his own reiatsu.

The bald man was grinning as well. "You know," he said. "It's considered impolite to turn your back on your opponent, especially after you've challenged them to a duel. What's your name?"

Zaraki grinned. He liked this guy. "Zaraki," he responded. "And yours?"

"Ikkaku Madarame." And with that, Ikkaku charged Zaraki.

Ikkaku's sword cut upwards, aiming for Zaraki's chest. Catching the sword with his left hand, Zaraki ignored the pain and slashed his own sword downwards. It was blocked by Ikkaku's hilt, and both men were sent skidding backwards.

Zaraki didn't' give Ikkaku much time to recover. A maniacal grin on his face, Zaraki rocketed forward, his sword at his side. Just as he was about to crash into Ikkaku, Zaraki raised his sword, pointing it straight at Ikkaku's chest.

Zaraki's opponent managed to deflect his thrust just in time. However, he didn't notice Zaraki's foot, speeding towards his head.

The kick knocked Ikkaku back several yards. However, he managed to roll into a less-than-graceful, although not bone-shattering fall. When the dust cleared, Zaraki could see that he was still grinning. Neither of the two combatants were perturbed by the other's joy. Finally, they both had someone that shared their love of combat.

Ikkaku used Shunpo to quickly close the distance between them. The battle raged on, both of the fighters relying on their instincts, their strength, and their bloodlust alone. Yachiru, standing at the edge of the clearing, looked on in awe.

Finally, Zaraki slipped up. Basking in the glory of battle, he let his reiatsu slip up another notch.

When his sword crashed into Ikkaku's, the blade shattered. Ikkaku stumbled to the ground. The grin had now left his face, and his expression was one of shock. "What… the hell…"

Ikkaku quickly got over his shock. "Well," he barked. "What are you waiting for? Do it!"

Zaraki did not look pleased. He would have to learn to control his reiatsu better. Maybe Yachiru had a point with her reiatsu-concealment training. Disgruntled, Zaraki sheathed his sword. "Damn," he muttered.

His broken opponent was enraged. "What the hell!" he screamed. "Why won't you kill me?!"

Zaraki chuckled. "Frankly, I'm not very obliged to," he responded. "You've been defeated already."

"I've lost the battle," Ikkaku spat. "You win, and your trophy is my life!"

Suddenly, Ikkaku found himself being grabbed by the collar and hoisted into the air. "Yeah?" Zaraki breathed. "Why do you _wish _for death to come?"

"I lost my honor when I lost to you."

"Bullshit," Zaraki hissed. "You were holding back, I could tell. Both of us know that. And if you lost your honor when you lost to me, take it back. Live, train, and fight! Surpass me!" He dropped Ikkaku. "I dare you."

Ikkaku got to his feet, slowly. He shakily nodded his head. A new fire burned in his eyes.

_"This man is strong," he thought. "One day…"_

-----

"Oi, Ikkaku!" Yumichika shouted. "I've got your booze!"

"Eh?" Ikkaku muttered, turning his head. "Oh, it's you."

"Who's he?" Zaraki inquired.

Ikkaku was tempted to say "a Gaylord" but bit his tongue. "A friend."

Yumichika scanned the scene. A tall man with long, black hair was obviously Ikkaku's challenger, but it didn't look like they were fighting. Why neither one of the two fighters was lying on the ground, dead, was a mystery to him.

Then his eyes fell upon her. His jaw dropped. His heart beat faster and faster. (I would put something else in here, but this is rated T. Sorry, perverts.)

Then Yachiru noticed him. Gasping, she quickly ran over to Zaraki. "Hey, Zaraki," she shouted, dragging him over. She pointed to Yumichika. "See that guy over there? He was one of Ryuuken's… _best friends. _They were as tight as ever. See?"

Ikkaku looked puzzled. "Who is…"

_Crack._

"OH MY GOD!!!!" Ikkaku ran over to Yachiru. "Jesus Christ woman, make your friend stop!"

Yachiru's eyes were steely. "We know each other. Our last meeting was not very pleasant. That man is an enemy of woman."

"What the hell?!!!!" Ikkaku screamed. "_Yumi's fucking gay!!!!"_

Yachiru still showed no signs of compassion. "A defense mechanism," she explained. "He's never suspected of being a womanizer."

Ikkaku gasped. "What? I never knew…"

_Snap._

"AAAUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I DON'T' KNOW ANYTHING. WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU???!!!!"

Zaraki chuckled. "You're a pretty hard nut to crack, aren't you?" he mused. "Most people would have gone insane by now." He didn't notice Yumichika's hand.

_Crunch._

This time it was Zaraki who doubled over in pain. "You bastard…" he seethed. Yumichika made a break for it. Zaraki drew his sword.

"Oh God," Yachiru breathed. "Oi, Zaraki! I was just lying to make you beat him up! He was just trying to hit on me!"

The next instant, Yachiru knew she had said the worst words possible. A killer aura lit up Zaraki's body. He turned to Yumichika, who had turned pale. "Oh," he breathed. "Really?"

Yumichika then decided to play dead. He failed miserably.

The screams were heard all around Soul Society. Yachiru covered her face in her hands.

-----

3 Years Later, After Yumichika Regains the Ability of Speech

Zaraki would drop by every now and then, and he and Ikkaku would go and have a drink. Ikkaku wasn't pissed off at Zaraki for severely traumatizing his friend. He knew that Yumi was a tough nut, and would recover.

The locals, however, were less than pleased about the new friendship. They were terrified. Two men with the power to destroy their entire district without breaking a sweat were friends. _Friends._

"So," Zaraki said, looking at Yumichika. "You two were once friends?"

Yumichika smiled weakly. He turned to Ikkaku. "Hey, Ikkaku, remember that killer party that Shunsui threw once?"

Ikkaku nodded slowly. "Ya…"

"Well, remember how you left with Renji and Matsumoto?"

Ikkaku blushed. None of his friends noticed.

"Well, anyways, after you left, I heard this girl's voice coming from Shunsui's office. It wasn't his stick-up-the ass lieutenant, so I figured that this woman would be equally stick-up-the ass, and therefore boring and ugly."

Zaraki groaned. He could see where this story was heading.

Yumichika's eyes lit up. "She was an angel," he breathed.

Yachiru entered the tent. "Yes, and she's also going to beat you to a pulp."

Read and Review, please. Thanks to Thief of Black Winged Hearts, SithKnight-Galen, and Nanahsi-Okita for reviewing.


	8. Appeasement

Appeasement

A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed, it s really appreciated. On a second note, updates speed will be more or less the same, 1-2 days in between. Because school is easy. I do not jest. It is easy. Kenpachi is Ryuuken. Every 11th Captain is named Kenpachi.

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was not happy. Besides the fact that pretty much every single Shinigami in the Gotei 13 thought that he was a freak- not that that was not entirely true, per say- but because he was becoming tired of his experiments. Of course, he still enjoyed the experiments themselves, and he could not deny that the small sadistic side of him glowed when he heard his subjects screaming in pain, but the quality of the data was becoming poor. Funding from the Central 46 was at an all time low, and as a result, he just couldn't find the money to fund his more elaborate and expensive experiments.

He sighed. His hair was in a column, extending straight up from his head. He had made it a point to change his hairstyle every six months. It reinforced the idea that he was a psycho freak. He liked scaring his colleagues.

Someone knocked on his door. Mayuri knew who it was. He was not an idiot, most scientists are not, and like most of them, he was a highly observant person.

"Come in," he called out to Kenpachi.

The man walked in. He was medium height, with short, spiky brown hair. His eyes held the gleam of a maniac.

"Well," Mayuri said. "What do you want?" He debated putting in a little tidbit about organ donation, but decided against it. All the other captains he had asked had seemed rather squeamish about him experimenting on them. Mayuri could never figure out why.

Kenpachi laughed. "Oh, don't act like you don't know why I'm here," Kenpachi said.

Mayuri grinned. He liked the man. Practical, unlike the previous captains that the 11th had experienced, and that was quite a lot, even in his relatively short career as captain. To Mayuri's scientific mind, the 11th Captain Trials were a part of the natural selection- every 5 years or so, a stronger captain would step up to the plate, defeating the previous, weaker one.

However, his theory left open the question of _when _the cycle would end. Mayuri hypothesized that one day, a Captain strong enough to withstand the constant barrage of challenges would emerge and take a relatively permanent position as 11th division Captain. Mayuri mentally grinned. Such a man would surely be a monster. A Demon.

"Yes, I do believe you are aware of my…" Mayuri said, turning his attention back to Kenpachi. "Financial situation."

"Quite," Kenpachi said. He prided himself as a man who had a very good sense of numbers. "Now, I know that your experiments provided data crucial for the operation and invention of many of Soul Society's day to day appliances. And that you get 10% of the profits."

Mayuri nodded. He could see where this was heading. "Half?" he asked.

Kenpachi smiled in agreement. "Deal."

"How exactly do you get your money?" Mayuri asked.

"Oh, I have my ways. In fact, I believe I have some rare specimens for you."

Mayuri's interest was piqued. "What kind?"

Kenpachi smiled. "Imperfect arrancar. For a price, of course."

Mayuri raised his eyebrows. The few arrancar specimens that the Gotei 13 had managed to recover were half-dead. "In good condition?"

"Except for some burns, they are fine."

"Fine. You can take it out of your payments to me."

As Kenpachi walked out of the 12th, he couldn't help but grin. Mayuri had taken the bait, just like the sucker he was. He fingered the data storage device that was now safely stored in his pocket.

----

The Central 46 were having problems. Of course, to the Central 46 themselves, the problem barely affected them. To the people the problem immediately affected, however, the problem was life-threatening. Of course, they really didn't care about the people they governed. When was the last time any bureaucracy did?

However, the exact location of the problem was what worried the Central 46. Demon was getting friends. The Chamber's members couldn't help but feel a little bit uneasy. It was pretty safe to assume that Demon, based on his track record, wouldn't do anything beneficial to them. In fact, he was looking more dangerous every day. Sooner or later, he would have to be addressed.

----

Aizen did not have very many problems ruling Hueco Muendo. There were very few hollow uprisings. His subordinates, Gin and Tosen, were obedient. No Shinigamis ever paid house calls.

Well, almost no Shinigamis. There was still the matter of the man who Barragan hadn't killed. Reports of his specific description didn't come in, but that was because anyone within 5 kilometers of random spots within Hueco Muendo mysteriously died.

There was a knock on Aizen's door. "Come in," Aizen called out.

Gin bowed respectfully. "The two arrancar we sent to retrieve the experimental hollow have not reported back. I assume they have either been killed or captured."

Aizen couldn't help but let a little amusement creep into his expression. Captured? Mayuri would be pleased, he surmised.

"Call of the attacks," he commanded. "No use sending arrancar to their deaths, after all."

"Yes, sir," Gin said.

"And, Gin?" Aizen said. "I wish to make a deal with a certain soul."

Gin nodded. He was unsurprised. Aizen often made deals with rogue Shingami, corrupt officials, and mob members in order to further his rebellion against Soul Society. Of course, the insurgency was never revealed to Aizen's contacts. Instead, they were told that the Arrancar were acting independently.

"Who should we send?"

Aizen waved his hand dismissively. "Any messenger will do," he said. "It's unimportant. I will provide the letter containing the terms and the soul I wish to contact."

"Yes, sir."

----

"Leader, we have a visitor requesting an audience with you."

"Is he armed?"

"No."

"Let him in."

The doors opened, and a single man strode into the room. There were large windows surrounding the building. The building had a five kilometer perimeter around it where ordinary Zaraki citizens were forbidden to tread. Of course, they were not forbidden by law, but rather by common sense and self-preservation.

The man wore a white coat, buttoned up so high that it covered his chin. He had black hair and blue markings under his eyes.

"Who are you?" Leader asked.

The man smiled. "I am but a simple messenger," he said in a mocking tone. "My name is unimportant."

Leader was unperturbed by the man's mocking tone. Keeping calm, cool, and collected was vital to maintaining his position as Leader. And anyways, the man's rudeness, if continued, would not go unpunished. Leader was not afraid to do things old school style.

"Who do you serve?" Leader inquired.

"Ah, well, I believe that can be better answered by actions more so than words." Saying so, the man shrugged off the top half of his coat.

Leader's eyes widened. With a subtle hand gesture, unnoticed by the messenger, he put every single thug in the room on standby.

The "man" had a hole in his chest. He had fragments of what look like bone clinging to his chin and neck. Leader had heard the rumors of the "Arrancar", but had never gotten to see them proof. Here it was.

"So," Leader mused, quickly concealing his surprise. "You serve the hollows. The arrancar."

"Yes," the arrancar answered. "My master has a proposition for you. We appear to have a common enemy: the man called 'Demon'".

Leader nodded. How this arrancar knew about his problem, he didn't know, but the problem existed, and that was all that mattered. Demon, obviously bored, had taken to running around Zaraki, finding every single gang squad within ten kilometers and proceeded to wipe them out. Several of those squads had been his own. The man, while not specifically aiming at him, had become a problem. "What are your terms?"

The arrancar laughed softly. "My leader only wants information of Demon," he responded. "In return, we give you his head."

"We don't have any-"

The arrancar scoffed. "Please, drop the pretense. Where is he?"

Leader grudgingly acknowledged that the arrancar's master must be a fairly intelligent man. He did indeed know Demon's location. He handed the arrancar a blank slip of paper. Puzzled, the arrancar flipped the slip over, only to find that the other side was also blank. "What is this?" it demanded.

"Only sufficient amounts of reiatsu can unseal that," Leader answered. "Give it to your leader."

----

I was sitting by our camp in Zaraki. We had left Ikkaku and Yumichika in the 75th, promising the drop by and go bust up some bars every once in a while.

After I had screwed up my reiatsu when I was fighting Ikkaku, I had decided to practice controlling it. It sucked when the fights ended prematurely. So here I was. Meditating. Trying to achieve inner balance and a greater control over my power.

It was failing miserably.

Suddenly, Yachiru rushed into camp. "What is it?"

"Can't you sense it?" she asked.

What the hell was she talking about? I could sense killer intent, and that was about it.

"There's a hollow in the area," she snapped. "Most likely a Gillian class Arrancar. I'm going to go take care of it."

I sat up. I hadn't understood what a "Gillian class Arrancar" was, but I didn't care. "No, you're not. I'm taking the hollow."

Yachiru raised her eyebrows. "Then what do I get to do?"

Her answer pissed me off. "Find some other hollows to hunt. Just stay out of trouble. This one's mine!"

----

Brunellio had to get out of Zaraki in order to open the Garganta. It was Aizen-sama's protocol, and no arrancar were foolish enough to disobey the protocol. At least, there weren't any more of them.

The slip of paper the soul had given him was tucked inside his coat pocket. He would guard it with his life, and even if he failed, he was sure that Aizen-sama would send in backup. This slip was very important to him, and a cunning man like him rarely let things that he considered important slip out of his reach.

Brunellio was completely loyal to his lord, Aizen. Though he was just a foot soldier, his dedication to his master was absolute. Aizen had given all the arrancar their power, and, in turn, the arrancar were honor bound to give Aizen their undying support. Unfortunately, there were always those that resisted his reign as King. They were dealt with swiftly and efficiently.

Brunellio emitted his routine Pesquisas. To his surprise, it detected a large reiatsu moving towards him at a tremendous speed.

Stopping in midair, Brunellio drew his sword. A fight was on his hands, and Brunellio was only too eager to lay his life on the line for his master.

There wasn't much of a fight. Zaraki's sword cut clean through Brunellio's and crashed into his skull, pulverizing it. He died before he had even started falling to the ground.

Zaraki landed gracefully. He frowned. The battle had been exceedingly disappointing. Now he knew what a Gillian class arrancar was: weak.

Then the Garganta opened. Zaraki looked up, hopeful. This strange opening in the sky had better spit out something worth fighting.

An arrancar stepped out of the Garganta. Zaraki ran his eyes up and down its body critically. It looked annoying. Dark skin, horns on his head and deep, thoughtful, eyes adorned his face. Zaraki hated deep, thoughtful eyes. They were eyes that stared you down when they were preaching to you why they were better than you, that they would kill you in the name of some bullshit, bla, bla, bla. If the eyes Zaraki saw weren't eyes filled with a manic desire to fight, to kill, and to become the king, they were disappointing eyes.

"An' who the hell are you?" Zaraki called out.

"My name is not of any importance to you, vermin," the arrancar responded. Zaraki was beginning to like this man less and less. _"Ever heard of giving a guy a chance to beat you up?" Zaraki thought._ This bastard was dismissing him as weak right off the bat. Zaraki prided himself in his etiquette: test a guy out for a little while, judge him, and then, if you can and want to, kill him. If he held your respect, you would exchange names. It was very simple, and the arrancar was already breaking the rules.

"And neither is mine," Zaraki snarled. He leapt up towards the proud Arrancar, drawing his sword. A feral grin was plastered on his face. He was going to teach this Arrancar a lesson.

The arrancar maintained his calm. His orders were to go in, retrieve the slip and get out as soon as possible. Zommari, as the septima Espada, was privy to Aizen's intentions, and knew that the man attacking him now was their target. Rukongai was big, and this man's base could be anywhere, so they needed a specific location. However, if he just killed Demon on the spot, there would be no need to recover the coordinates.

"_Pride cometh before a fall, Zommari," the arrancar chided to himself._ Quickly using a Gemelos Sonido to conceal his movement, he retrieved the blank slip of paper from Brunellio's pocket.

Zaraki didn't see the Sonido, and a second later, his sword slammed into Zommari's. Quickly disengaging, Zaraki began to bombard to arrogant arrancar with a barrage of sword strikes and kicks.

"I don't have time for this child's play," Zommari said, dispassionately. "Suppress, Brujera!"

Zommari began to transform. When the metamorphosis was finished, Zaraki was stunned. His opponent looked like a pumpkin. A very fat, immobile, pumpkin.

"This is my Resureccion," Zommari said. "And this is my Amor."

Now, Zaraki could see that the pumpkin was covered with eyes. It was ridiculous. What was he going to do? Stare him down?

"The world can be divided into two groups," Zommari began to preach. As he did, one of the eyes began to glow. His trademark sun tattoo appeared on Zaraki's sword arm. Out of its own accord, Zaraki's arm almost stabbed its master. Eyes widening in surprise, Zaraki quickly reached out and broke his own arm. It fell limp to his side, and he picked up his sword with the other arm just in time. He eyed his arm with surprise. Zommari chuckled. "The rulers and the ruled. My Amor makes me the King of whatever it looks at." Zommari stared at Zaraki with a mixture of pity and disgust. "This battle was over before it even began."

Zaraki face was obscured by his long, coarse hair. Finally, he stood up straight, allowing his hair to fall to the side, revealing his expression. It chilled Zommari to the bone.

"No," Zaraki hissed. "This battle's just begun." He threw his sword.

Zaraki's blade flew through the air, impaling itself hilt-deep in Zommari's glowing eye. Instantly, it was put out. The sun tattoo disappeared from Zaraki's arm. Zommari screamed in anguish.

Zaraki didn't miss a beat. Raising his once useless sword arm, he grabbed the hilt of his sword and sliced out a whole row of Zommari's eyes.

"You know, for someone so arrogant, you're pretty accurate," Zaraki said. "The world _can _be divided into the King and his subjects." Zommari stumbled backward, howling in pain. Zaraki stabbed on eye out, then another.

"But you know, anyone that has to rely on some ability to make himself King," he said. "Doesn't deserve to be in that spot in the first place. You couldn't even muster the willpower to move a broken arm."

Zaraki raised his sword, preparing to deliver the killing blow. Suddenly, the pumpkin shape covered Zommari's entire body, shielding him from Zaraki's sword. The strike glanced harmlessly off.

_"Che," Zaraki thought. "Just like an insect, curling up into a ball."_

Zommari used Sonido to get out of the battle. Over half of his eyes were destroyed, and there were numerous cut and stab wounds crisscrossing his body. Quickly opening the Garganta, he made his escape. Just as he was about to disappear, Zaraki called out.

"Goodbye, o nameless hollow," he taunted. "Pray that when you meet me again, you'll be in better shape."

----

"Zommari has returned, Aizen-sama."

Aizen looked up from his throne. He savored the feeling of being in the throne of the King of Hueco Muendo. Of course, he had no idea that it was a replica. Ignorance is bliss.

"Did he successfully retrieve the Leader's response, Gin?" Aizen inquired.

"Yes, Aizen-sama," Gin replied. He held out a slip of paper. "Here it is."

The slip of paper was not blank. Instead, it held flaky crimson writing. _"Dried blood," Aizen mused._

_Whoever the hell you are _one side read. _Go fuck yourself. Demon._

Aizen looked up at Gin, mildly amused. "This Demon certainly does like to play games, doesn't he, Gin?"


	9. Conquest

Conquest

A/N: If you notice any grammar or spelling mistakes, please either put it in a review or pm me. Thanks, it's really appreciated.

They see the world like a chessboard.

If you need to burn and slaughter a path of destruction through the enemy to achieve your goal, so be it.

If you need to sacrifice those pawns who are completely dedicated to you, so be it.

If you need to spin a web of lies to ensnare your adversaries, do it, no matter how many people get caught in it.

And if you ever need to turn lives into numbers and sacrifice the few for the many…

Don't even hesitate.

If there are fewer victims, then the families banging on your door will be less in number.

----

There is a map, somewhere in the three dimensions, that is a perfect representation of the 80th district of Rukongai, Zaraki. It is as close to real time as the Soul Society technology can allow: Leader's men had jumped a 12th division convoy. Unbeknownst to them, Mayuri didn't care. He had long since developed a map which monitored with incredible precision the exact locations of every single reiatsu in Soul Society. Nobody else except for him and his daughter knew about the map. Though he was a man of little emotion except sadism and pleasure, he still had nightmares about the last public outcry his little toys had elicited.

Leader's map was a prototype of Mayuri's version. While it _can _detect a reiatsu outburst anywhere in Zaraki, it frequently malfunctions. In addition, it can only sense conscious reiatsu outputs, not ones that are unconsciously emitted.

However, the map was immensely useful in detecting the small skirmishes that the new power struggle had given birth to. Disgraced nobles, rogue Shinigami, and bandits who were spiritually powerful all gravitated towards Zaraki. Some were drawn in by the allure of money, some by the intoxication of power and some just to get a good fight. Most were aware of their spiritual powers, but some were not. All faced the prospect of a very painful death. Ah, the life of a thug.

Because of the number of potential soldiers that Zaraki attracted, every time a spiritually powerful being came to Zaraki, there was a scramble among the gangs to employ him. Leader himself had been one of the people recruited by Cobra, which always managed to grab the greatest number of the wanderers.

However, the map know had a new purpose. Demon, obviously spiritually powerful, emitted immense amounts of reiatsu wherever he went. Leader had already sent out some of his best fighters to combat him whenever he was detected, but they were always defeated. Quite frankly, it was disheartening.

Even with the casualties Demon inflicted, however, Cobra still possessed the most elite soldiers out of all the Zaraki gangs and of all the non-Shinigami institutions in all three dimensions. In fact, Zaraki had the highest concentration of spiritually powerful beings not loyal to Seireitei in the world.

----

"Oi, Demon!" a man shouted.

I opened my eyes. What the hell was this? Sighing, I shook myself out of my slumber. Drawing my sword, I twirled it around experimentally, and then smashed it into a rock. Deeming the rock sufficiently pulverized, I went out to meet my opponent. I was hopeful about this one. Those who trespassed on my territory were usually very stupid, very brave, or very strong. I always preferred the last of the three.

Walking out of my tent, my expectations were more than met. I immediately drew my sword and charged. My stroke was blocked by my opponent's with ease.

Exchanging blows, in psychopathic maniac etiquette, is the equivalent of: "Hey, Ikkaku, how you been?" "Great, thanks!"

As our epic battle raged on, a couple of the local thugs picked up on the fight. Then a few of the more professional thugs joined in, and soon enough, half of the bandits in the district were having a brawl. I recognized some of the people he had played (read: beaten half to death) with. They looked far more comfortable with their friends around. It pissed me off. Nobody, damnit, _nobody,_ is fucking _comfortable _when they are fighting. They are _overjoyed, _but not _comfortable. _That implies that they are letting their guard down, and that always makes for a sucky fight.

Not only was everyone looking _far _too laid back for a fight, especially since they were _weaker _than us, was the fact that they had interrupted our fight. It looked like we would have to deal with the small fry first before we could continue our duel.

"Ikkaku! Don't you think these guys look a bit too comfortable?"

Ikkaku grinned madly in return. "Extend, Demon Lights!"

Wind wrapped itself around Ikkaku's blade, transforming it into its Shikai state. It was a spear, segmented into three pieces, as far as I could tell. Laughing wildly, he charged into the enemy, swinging his Zanpakuto around and slicing up the thugs into little pieces.

Not letting Ikkaku outmatch me, I just decided to pull out some more stops. Releasing more of my reiatsu into the atmosphere, I could see some thugs wince in response, and some collapse on the spot.

My day was getting better every second.

----

Yachiru was stunned. Simply stunned. Yes, she enjoyed battle, yes, she was happy that Zaraki wasn't as uptight as he was before, but this was simply _ridiculous._

"So, watcha doin?"

Drawing my Zanpakuto, Yachiru immediately attacked the newcomer. "Pervert," she hissed. "Imma gonna _kill _you. A service to my fellow women."

Yumichika held up his hands in a gesture of peace. While he did share Ikkaku and Zaraki's love of battle, to a lesser extent, he was far more protective of beauty. And an angry, rampaging woman could simply _ravage _your face. Yumichika had experienced that firsthand.

"Hey, hey, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry!" he exclaimed.

Yachiru's eyes narrowed. She wasn't buying it. "For what?"

Yumichika's eye traveled upwards, as if he was trying to remember something. Almost subconsciously, he held up three fingers on his right hand. "Right. Uh…"

Yachiru began to raise her sword again. _"Womanizers," she thought. "All the same. Never buy their excuses."_

"Wait!" Yumichika cried. "I'm supposed to apologize for ever hitting on you, disgracing you in front of your own division members and for that hickey I gave you!"

"What do you mean 'supposed to'?"

"Well, Zaraki told me…"

"HOW THE HELL DOES ZARAKI KNOW ABOUT THE HICKEY??!!!"

Fuck. "Well, anyways," Yumichika said, nimbly dodging her question. He again raised three fingers, ticking them off as he went. "I'm also supposed to swear that I will never again attempt a relationship with multiple women, live a decent life and, most importantly, never speak to you again."

Yachiru gaped. "What?"

"Ya, Zaraki made me do the last one."

"Why?" Yachiru demanded.

"Hey, um, I thought that only guys were supposed to be clueless idiots," Yumichika muttered.

"What was that?"

"I said 'Hey, look at all those clueless idiots'," Yumichika said, waving his hand towards the melee.

----

"So, you wiped out almost half the gangs in Zaraki, and gave yourself," Yachiru said, looking at Zaraki's wounds. "Several dozen small cuts, six stab wounds and a huge gash in your left thigh. And you're not dead. What the hell."

Zaraki was still grinning. He hadn't stopped for the past five hours. Next to him, Ikkaku was also grinning.

"That. Was. Fucking. _Awesome,"_ he whispered. "Three hundred to two. Best fight I've ever had."

"And if me and Yumichika didn't step in, you'd be dead!"

Ikkaku sat straight up. "Wait a sec, Yumichika helped?"

"Yes. He said that if you died, life would be too boring."

"I was saved by _Yumichika?"_

"Um, yes, he was the one who dragged you, unconscious, from the battle."

"Fuck." Ikkaku sat back on his bed, deflated.

"Um," Zaraki piped up. "Who dragged me, unconscious, from the battle?" His hopes were high.

"Yumichika did that too."

Zaraki just stared. "You're joking, right?"

Yachiru frowned. "What's the matter?" Zaraki just groaned.

----

Leader was smiling. This was Demon's biggest rampage yet. Fortunately, none of Cobra's allies had been fortunate enough to get involved, and several of his biggest competitors had been completely destroyed. Idiots.

Leader looked at his map. His subordinates kept him constantly updated on the status of every major gang in the district.

Gangs. Leader mentally scoffed at the term. The highly sophisticated Zaraki military groups had been labeled "gangs" by the patrolling Shinigami. From then on, "Mob" and "Thugs" were only a matter of time. Of course, some of the less intelligent groups fit the description, but the huge organizations upon which Zaraki life revolved around were much more intelligent, powerful, and civilized than the ordinary thug gang. Ryuuken was an exception. With just a dozen uncivilized, barbaric and thuggish men, he had managed to conquer the most lawless district in Rukongai. Leader cursed his incompetent predecessors. The fools had just let him do it.

Now that he was in charge, they would do it right. After today's events, all of his major competitors, except for a handful of groups, had been eliminated. There were a couple trouble spots here and there, but throw a handful of expendable lives at the problem and everything would run smoothly.

He hadn't heard back from the arrancar. Truth be told, he didn't want to. They were a variable in the equation, and he didn't like variables. They were hollows, monsters, and therefore, unpredictable.

There was a knock on his door. It was one of his subordinates. "Come in," he called out.

His subordinate walked in. Leader frowned. He could see that his subordinate was obviously elated. He trained every member of Cobra never to show any signs of emotion. "What is it?"

"Sir, our troops captured some supplies that 12th Division shinigami were carrying," he replied. Leader's interest was piqued. 12th Division loot was always a treasure. "What did they capture?" Leader replied.

The messenger's glee was hardly contained. "Apparently, the shinigami have been playing around with Kido weapons." He procured an item from behind his back. It had a long barrel, with several knobs protruding from the end. The messenger brought the strange item forward.

Leader took the strange object with apprehension. There was a small switch sticking out of the side that was obviously the trigger. Walking out of his room, he pointed the gun at a tree and pulled the trigger.

The messenger's cry of alarm reached Leader too late. The blast pulverized the tree, and kept going into the building half a kilometer behind it. The building, in turn, was also destroyed. At least the blast stopped going after that.

Leader turned to his subordinate. "Was there anyone of any importance in that building?"

"No, sir."

Leader nodded, pleased. "Good," he said. "Call a meeting with the other organizations, immediately."

----

The atmosphere of the meeting could only be described as suffocating. A lesser being would have collapsed on the spot. Indeed, several of the leader's subordinates were looking distinctly ill.

Leader began the meeting. "Well," he said. "I have called you all here today to inform you that Zaraki is under my control."

The other organization heads showed no emotion. Cobra had either gone crazy or was telling the truth, in which case the correct course of action would be a mad scramble to get a piece of the pie.

"Well," another leader began. "That obviously is not all you have to tell us."

"The second thing that I have to tell you is that I am offering an alliance," Leader said.

This caused a subtle ripple of surprise. Leader, offering peace? This was unprecedented.

"I'll tell you why. It's Demon. Unlike before, he is actively involved in our little power struggle. He must be eliminated."

A third person, this one a woman, spoke up. "And I assume you have the means to do so?"

Leader nodded. "Yes. While my weapon is only enough to soften him up, our combined forces will be more than enough to finish him off."

"And what happens then?"

"Then, we split up Zaraki, and move on the Kusajishi, maybe even the other districts, and split those up as well. While our successors will undoubtedly break the alliance, at least we'll have control for some time."

The rest of the meeting nodded. Leader was making sense.

"Deal?" Leader offered.

"Deal," was the resounding answer.

----

Twelve hours later after the "incident", as Yachiru had become fond of calling it, Zaraki was fully recovered. Yachiru was very frightened by this. One hour later, Ikkaku was also fully recovered. Yachiru walked out of the tent muttering something that sounded distinctly like "freak".

"Don't know why she's so upset," Zaraki muttered. "The faster we get recovered, the faster we can fight? Eh, Ikkaku?"

Ikkaku nodded sagely. "True, true."

Then the tent exploded.

As Zaraki got groggily to his feet, he recognized a face. "Hey…. You're that guy who hired me all those years ago!"

He didn't get a reply. Instead, he got a sword to the face. Zaraki liked the sword better.

The sword didn't cut in very deep, but it actually did some damage. Zaraki, still stunned over the explosion, had let his reiatsu drop for a moment. Snarling, he grabbed the sword with his bare hand and shattered it. Drawing his own sword, he sliced the attacker's head off. He didn't bother with names. Anyone who attacked someone when they had just been attacked by some sort of ballistic weapon was no warrior to him.

The weapon fired again. This time, Zaraki was ready for it. Catching the Kido blast with his bare hands, he crushed it, dispelling the energy.

Leader groaned. It was a rare moment of frustration. Demon really did deserve his name.

A leader of a rival gang shunpoed beside him. "You know, Cobra, your plan isn't really working."

Leader ignored the use of his casual name and the rude attitude. "Hello, Demon," he called out instead.

"What do you want," Zaraki growled.

"Well, the thing is, I think I finally get what makes you tick."

"What?"

"All you want to do is fight. That's why you're so strong. You will train and train to the gates of hell and back, just to keep fighting. You desire strength in order to fight."

Zaraki didn't respond. Once upon a time, he would have denied it. He would have said that he fought to gain strength. He would have said that he desired strength to kill Ryuuken. But he wasn't so sure anymore.

"We're about to go on a rampage throughout the high numbered Rukongai districts," Leader said. "Care to join in?"

Zaraki would have said yes without hesitating. Then, Yachiru shunpoed beside him. "Talk with me," she growled in a low voice.

"What do you want?" Zaraki growled in a low voice after they had shunpoed away.

"You can't honestly be considering doing that, can you?"

Zaraki was stunned. "Why not?"

Yachiru slapped him. "Because!" she screamed. "Innocents will die, just for your enjoyment!"

"I've killed before!"

"In fights, in duels, but have you killed in a massacre?"

That shut Zaraki up. "You're right," he said.

Zaraki went back to Leader. "No," he said bluntly.

Leader frowned. He had heard their conversation. Conquering districts to him was a strictly military venture, with civilians out of the picture. Though, to be fair, he wasn't so sure about the more sadistic organizations. Anyways, he wasn't so sure allying with Demon was such a good idea anymore. The conversation he had just had with his blond friend had proved his unpredictability, and perhaps revealed ties that would only get in the way of their operation.

"Fine," Leader said. "But I do wish to reach an agreement with you. Your little rampages have inflicted a decent amount of casualties."

Zaraki chuckled. "So what? They're fun."

"But do you want to waste your time on small fry? I know that many of us are cowardly thieves, but there are quite a few of us who know honor and want a taste of glory. They are not content with slowly fading into the annals of history. They want to go out with a bang. There are several of my men who desire a fight with you."

Zaraki raised his eyebrows. This sounded appealing.

"Do you accept? We can provide good quality battle about twice a year."

Twice a year wasn't too bad. Zaraki shook Leader's hand.

Leader cleared his throat. "What about your, um, friend?" he questioned, pointing at Ikkaku, who was finishing of his enemy. Even from a distance, a distinct air of disgust could be detected in his expression as he picked of coward who were fleeing from battle.

"We must act!" a man boomed, his staff punctuating his declaration. A murmur of assent rippled throughout the chamber.

"The situation is becoming far to violate for us not to," an old lady said. She waved her hand to emphasize her remark. "What with all the thieves, rogues, and bandits-"

"-it would be foolish not to do something about it," another man said, finishing her sentence.

"A vote!" exclaimed another member. "All in favor?"

There was a soft shuffling noise as ever y single member in the chamber raised their hands.

"And all against?"

Silence. A gavel boomed.

"Then, by the order of the Central 46 Chambers, we command the Gotei 13 to march on Zaraki!"

Review, Please


	10. Obey Me, Or Burn in Hell

Obey Me, or Burn in Hell

A/N: I'm making this chapter much more Gotei 13 centric. Why? Because I can, and it's free.

Hitsugaya Toshiro was beginning to lose the little faith he still had in the Central 46. They had pitted him in a duel to the death with one of his closest, dearest friends, but after some time, he had passed this off as for the best. Two shinigami sharing one zanpakuto was unorthodox and possibly quite dangerous. However, he had never truly forgiven them for Kusaka's death. And now, this was just too much. This was simply ludicrous.

Invading and occupying an entire district, let alone Zaraki, the most violent one of them all, was idiotic. While certainly justified, the Rukongai residents weren't actually doing any damage to Seireitei. The Central 46 were punishing them for something that they _might _do. The humans in the real world were occupying some country south of China. It wasn't working very well, as far as Hitsugaya could tell. The 10th had been put in charge of the excess amount of souls in the area, and even Matsumoto had been so swamped with paperwork she was forced to actually work.

Even worse, they had sent him to lead the expedition. He had been born and raised in Rukongai, and had sympathy for its residents, even though he had shown up in the lower districts. Someone like Byakuya, a cold, heartless, noble, would be much better suited for the job. Or Kenpachi. After over fifty years of watching that man do his job, Hitsugaya was certain that the cruel bastard would welcome an opportunity to mindlessly kill and slaughter.

Hitsugaya massaged his temples. The worst of it was that he would be gone for a considerable amount of time, abandoning his division to Matsumoto. He shuddered at the amount of paperwork that would accumulate.

There was a knock on his door. "Come in!" he called out.

Juushiro and Shunsui entered the room. Shunsui was rather disappointed with the furnishings. That is, until he moved his eyes to the other half of the room. One part, which was obviously Hitsugaya's, was so office-like it made him cringe. The other half was much more to his taste. Silently thanking Matsumoto, he threw himself on the couch, picked up a sake bottle that was lying on a table next to it, and took a swig.

At least, he tried to. The cork blew up in his face, sending bottle shards ricocheting around the room.

"What the hell was that, Toshiro?"

Hitsugaya grunted, ignoring, again, the casual use of his name. "Kido cork. I had Hinamori make one for me."

"Eh?" Shunsui gasped. "Toshiro, isn't that a bit cruel?"

Hitsugaya sighed. "Don't worry, she'll just run over to Hinamori and beg and plead for her to remove it. It will work."

"Ah," Shunsui nodded. Juushiro cleared his throat. "Toshiro-kun, I don't think you should have told him that. Ise-fukutaicho frequently locks up his sake stashes, and he is always looking for alternate sources."

Hitsugaya cursed mentally, while saying "No, no, it's alright. Kyoraku-taicho may come and visit anytime." It was just what he needed. Two drunks lounging around his division.

Shunsui took a swig of sake. Wait. What? Hitsugaya snapped his head around. "How did you get that?"

"Wha?" he said, his speech already slurred. "Oh, I always have one of these babies handy."

Matsumoto came into the room. "Sake!" she squealed, and joined Shunsui on the couch.

Hitsugaya almost lost his temper. _Almost._ He remembered when he had met his soon-to-be lieutenant when he was being introduced to the members of the 10th.

_Yamamoto brought him into the 10__th__'s headquarters. "You will share this room with your vice captain, Matsumoto Rangiku."_

"A woman," Hitsugaya thought. "Well, Kyoraku's vice captain seemed pretty efficient. And I am a pubescent heterosexual male… albeit not a perverted one…"

_He walked into the room. "OH MY GOD!" he screamed. "YOU!"_

_Yamamto looked at Hitsugaya, confused. "Do you two know each other?"_

_"Eh?" Matsumoto said, looking up from her sake bottle. "Ah! You're that cute little kid from Rukongai!" Saying so, she ran up and gave Hitsugaya a hug. He was smothered instantly._

_"GET OFF ME YOU LOON! I'M YOUR _CAPTAIN _NOW! YAMAMOTO-SOU-"_

_Yamamoto, being the wise old man that he is, had decided to evacuate the premises. He always left Captain-Lieutenant relationships to the parties involved. Kyoraku and Ise had taken their time to smooth things out, so would this new younger captain._

The experience still gave Hitsugaya nightmares. Shaking off the memories, he turned to Juushiro, the only person in the room, besides himself, who wasn't drunk.

"So, what did you come here for?" he asked. "If not to escort Kyoraku-taicho back home, so he doesn't get hurt."

"Ah," Juushiro said. "How do you feel about your mission?"

Hitsugaya frowned. "Isn't the mission a bit unnecessary?"

Juushiro shrugged. "Over time, you'll get to understand why the Central 46 does the things it does."

Hitsugaya gestured angrily. "But why this?"

Shunsui sat up. "Ze Sentra Fortay Si owaz warries bout da lider tings," he said.

Juushiro cleared his throat. "I think that Shunsui means to say that the Central 46 is very cautious. It is built on power, and anything that remotely threatens that power is dangerous to it. Consider Zaraki's condition. The gangs have allied themselves with each other and Demon is no longer doing any significant damage to them."

"But still!" Hitsugaya protested. "Why me?"

"We all have to prove ourselves in missions sometimes," Juushiro said gravely. "Kenpachi already has done some of the Central 46's more… distasteful disposal missions, so you're the only junior captain left."

Hitsugaya growled. "It's still very troublesome."

Matsumoto sat up. "Don't worry bout it too much, taichou," she said. Obviously, she could hold her sake better than Shunsui. "The first missions are always the worst."

"I wouldn't worry about it so much if I wasn't leaving you in charge here," Hitsugaya muttered.

Matsumoto pouted. "Taicho!" she protested. "Everything will be fine!" To emphasize her statement, she ran up and hugged Hitsugaya, suffocating him.

Breaking free of Matsumoto's breasts, Hitsugaya mentally swore. _"I swear to god," he thought. "When I get my growth spurt…"_

A hell butterfly flew into the room. Landing on Hitsugaya's finger, it relayed its message. Hitsugaya stood up.

"I have a meeting with Yamamoto-soutaichou," he announced. "Matsumoto, you probably will not obey this order, but I forbid you to drink any more sake for the rest of the day."

Shunsui was now considerably more sober. "A meeting with Yama-jii?" he asked. "It's gonna be about your mission."

The young captain wondered how Kyoraku Shunsui could be so disrespectful to the most powerful Shinigami and Seireitei and still live. Matsumoto took a defiant swig out of her bottle. Hitsugaya groaned. He would have to put in a lieutenant transfer request during his meeting with Yamamoto.

_----_

"You called me here, sir?" Hitsugaya said.

Yamamoto nodded. "The Central 46 has seen fit to send in more reinforcements to Zaraki. Soifon and the Onmitsukido will accompany your team."

"What?" Hitsugaya blurted. "That's-"

Hitsugaya stopped himself before he could get himself executed for disobeying the Central 46. "Yes, sir."

Yamamoto sighed. "While it is not in our place, as the Gotei 13, to question the Central 46's orders, I cannot help but be perplexed by this."

Hitsugaya bowed. "Sir, if I may," he said, as Yamamoto gestured for him to continue. "There have been rumors of a man with incredible strength residing in Zaraki. That could be a source for concern."

"Yes, that is true," Yamamoto mused, more to himself than to Hitsugaya. "But is it really necessary to send in Soifon as well? You are excused, Hitsugaya-taicho. Would you mind relaying the message to Soifon?"

"Yes, sir."

----

"What is it, Oomaeda?" Soifon snapped.

Soifon's incompetent lieutenant paused to munch on some chips. "Hitsugaya-taicho here to see you."

Soifon expressed a rare moment of surprise. "Let him in."

The diminutive captain walked in. "Soifon," he said, bowing respectfully. He had come to view most of the other captains as his seniors, because of the enormous age difference. "The Central 46 has deemed it appropriate for you to accompany me to Zaraki."

"What?" she asked, surprised. Hitsugaya handed her the paperwork. She scanned it over quickly, seeing that Hitsugaya was speaking the truth. "Fine," she snapped. Turning to her lieutenant, she ordered him to keep the division in check while she was gone. Hitsugaya pitied the woman. From what he had seen of him, her lieutenant was almost as lazy as Matsumoto.

From what he had observed of the woman, Soifon, despite her tough exterior, seemed very fragile on the inside. When he had become captain, after the mysterious disappearance of five captains, she looked like she was in a state of denial. Hitsugaya wondered how someone so emotionally unstable had become captain. Of course, he was the youngest captain ever to have the honor of taking the title. Considering the skill difference between him and the other captains at the time, he had to assume that the Gotei 13 were desperate to fill in the missing ranks. He had made it a point to train as much as possible to decrease said ability gap, and had succeeded. Many captains regarded him with a special kind of respect for improving so rapidly.

"We leave in three hours," Hitsugaya said. Turning around, he walked out of the room.

----

Every district up to the 76th was under the Zaraki Alliance's control. Leader had made it a point to prevent the other gangs from killing civilians. When they protested, he simply responded that it might provoke Demon's wrath. That shut them up.

A messenger ran into his command post. The other Alliance members were also in the tent. It was the same messenger who had given him the Kido weapon. Leader had discarded it when he realized that it was a three-time use only weapon. No doubt a prototype.

This time, instead of elation, the messenger's face expressed fear. Deep, primal, fear. Leader frowned. He would have to correct this later on.

"What is it?" he asked.

The messenger bowed. "Shinigami have been sighted at the 65th district, sir. They'll be on us in a matter of hours."

Leader nodded. This was to be expected. After their recent expansions into Rukongai, the Central 46 could hardly turn a blind eye. All the Alliance troops drilled in invasions from other mobs. This time it was the Shinigami. What was the difference?

"Sir-," the messenger said, hesitating. Drawing a deep breath, he continued. "There were two Shinigami with white haoris spotted among them. Captains."

This caused a noticeable amount of concern among the people assembled. Leader breathed a deep breath.

"Ready your men," he said to his fellow organization leaders. Then he turned to the messenger. "Inform Demon. Tell him it's time to party."

----

Zaraki looked up. "If you're fucking around with me I'll throw you through a wall. Then I'll do it again, and again, and again, until you fucking die."

The messenger gulped. Ikkaku spoke up. "You know, he will do that."

"I'm telling the truth!" the messenger exclaimed.

"When will they arrive?"

"I don't know."

Zaraki got up. "Well then," he said. "Why don't you?"

The messenger didn't even respond. He just ran. Zaraki sat back down, trying to calm himself. A puny little messenger wasn't worth it, he told himself.

"Hey, Ikkaku," he said. "You guys were once Shinigami, right?"

Ikkaku nodded. "So was Yachiru, right?"

"She quit to hunt someone down. What about you guys?"

Yumichika entered their tent. "Because it was fucking _boring."_

Ikkaku nodded in agreement. "We were in the 11th. It's supposed to be the most battle-loving division out there." Ikkaku put his face in his hands. "It was _pathetic."_

"Bunch of pussies who couldn't fight for _beans_," Yumichika put in. "Once, during sparring, we tried actually getting a _little _bit serious. Fucker ran away screaming. So _ugly._"

"So we got the hell out of there," Ikkaku said. "And decided to head for Zaraki. We made little pit-stops along the way. And then we met you."

The messenger ran back in the tent. "They're here."

The three men high fived.

----

Hitsugaya cursed the Central 46 in his mind over and over again. The _idiot _of an aide they had sent over with the attack group was annoying him about procedure again. The fool made him almost miss Matsumoto.

The journey to Rukongai had been relatively uneventful. When he was a child in the 1st District, he was stared at because of his cold glare and white hair. Now, he was stared at because he was a shinigami, disliked by most and hated by some. "I'm sorry!" he wanted to scream. "Not all Shinigami are like this!"

And it was true. He had met his fellow captains, and they weren't bad at all. Yes, Kuchiki was a stick up the ass and Kurotsuchi was a monster, but most of them were very affable people.

The aide had been sent in by the Central 46 to ensure that the Shingami did their job. A small, thin man with a very high voice, it was clear he would be useful for absolutely nothing but talking. Throughout the entire journey, he had constantly reminded Hitsugaya about how the entire mission was by the command of the Central 46, and, as their representative, he and Soifon would have to answer to _him._ Soifon, obviously not accustomed to being ordered around by a civilian, was shocked.

"But we're the captains in this mission," she said.

The aide chuckled. It was an extremely unpleasant sound. "You Shinigami are all the same," he mocked. "Thinking that you can do whatever you want. You're wrong. The Central 46 commands you, and nobody else."

Hitsugaya could see Soifon's fists clench. Obviously, she had had some unpleasant experiences with the chamber.

The aide had gone in to inform the Zaraki residents that they were going to be occupied, that any resistance would be immediately crushed, and that the district was from now on under the Central 46's command. Surprisingly, they had been met with Zaraki troops as far as the 76th district. Seeing them, the aide had gone in and demanded an audience with their leaders. The troops just complied. The aide had no idea what he had just gotten himself into.

----

Zaraki was upset. The aide, apparently, had demanded the Zaraki leader come to _him, _so they had to take a three hour long walk to the 76th. It was long and tedious, and it had better be worth it.

When they arrived, the aide had already set up a tent. Everyone filed in. Inside the tent, there was only one chair. It seemed that the aide wanted them all to stand.

Smiling, he explained their situation to them. They would surrender, and then the Central 46 would occupy and rule the higher districts until it was deemed that the situation had stabilized.

Leader just stared at him. "What?" he asked. The aide repeated himself.

This time it was Zaraki's turn. "What?"

The aide stood up. "I'm not going to waste my time with you dirty, thuggish, idiots," he snarled. "We will march in, and there is nothing you can do about it."

Leader cleared his throat. "The people of Zaraki have many differences and disputes with each other," he began eloquently. "We come from different backgrounds, we fight to the death over small swaths of land, and we are, rightfully so, regarded as a district full of rogues and thieves. If there is one thing we have in common, however, it is our love of fighting. What you want to do is-"

Zaraki cut him off with a wave of his hand. He didn't want to waste words or actions. He drew his sword. "Fuck you," he said.

The aide just laughed. "You're just a lowly beggar living in a hellhole. You're nobody. You don't even have a name, and you wouldn't dare lay a hand on me."

Zaraki stood up, towering over the aide. "You may be right," he said. He raised his sword. "But I have a sword." The aide began to back out of the tent. Zaraki grabbed him by the collar, stopping his movement.

"And you,"

"Fucking."

"_Don't."_

Steel flashed. The organization heads looked up at Demon, mildly amused. One of them spoke up.

"Did you really have to do that?"

Zaraki's face broke into a grin. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "This is war, isn't it?"

Review, Please

A/N: The ending was fun to write. Inspiration from 300.


	11. This is War, So Make the Most of It

This is War, So Make the Most of It.

Hitsugaya looked down at the severed head that lay before him. He sighed. This meant a full scale war with the higher Rukongai districts. At least the obnoxious aide had gotten what was coming for him. He had already sent a hell butterfly back to Yamamoto informing him of the situation. Soifon had taken one look at the Alliance's answer and had left to arm the Onmitsukido.

There wasn't anything strategically difficult about the Shinigami's position. The districts had been designed for housing, not an extended siege. While there were small walls surrounding each district, Hitsugaya's power could easily demolish them.

Again, the small captain looked at the 80th district's rather violent declaration of war. He began to massage his throbbing temples. It would have been so much easier if they had just surrendered.

Soifon was sitting in her tent, just outside the borders of the 75th, looking over a map of the area. Her heart really wasn't in it. It had been over 50 years since Yoruichi had abandoned her to go to the real world with that _idiot _Urahara Kisuke. She had tried to convince herself otherwise, but she still hadn't really gotten over her loss.

The plan was simple. Hitsugaya would destroy the walls of the district and then the combined forces of the Onmitsukido and the 10th division would overpower any resistance that the 80th residents could muster. Soifon herself didn't really believe the rumors about Demon, dismissing them as figments of drunken men's imaginations.

An Onmitsukido soldier shunpoed inside her tent. He bowed respectfully, grabbing onto a nearby table for support. Soifon could see that he was wounded. That was odd- Hitsugaya hadn't told her that the invasion had begun.

"They're… coming," the soldier choked out.

----

Aizen surveyed the chaos in the higher Rukongai districts with mild amusement. It had been child's play to simply make himself invisible and sneak along with Hitsugaya and Soifon. Now, as he watched the battle between the Shinigami and Rukongai residents, he couldn't help but smile.

It had been an error on his part to contact Leader. He had probably already dismissed the arrancar as an insignificant thing, and if he did acknowledge them, he hadn't made any move to contact them. The man had already formed a sort of alliance with Demon, providing him with the thrill of battle in exchange for peace. This deal was also quite beneficial for Aizen: with his new source of entertainment, Demon no longer paid visits to Hueco Muendo, looking for fights.

If he was lucky, Hitsugaya or Soifon would get themselves killed in the battle. Satisfied with the events unfolding before him, Aizen returned to Seireitei.

----

When I proposed that _they _go _out _to meet the enemy, I was met with silence and blank looks.

"What?" someone asked. "That's crazy. All our food supplies are _inside _the district, and-"

"Fine," I muttered. "If you pussies don't want to do it, I'll go myself. Anyone with me?"

And so, the best fight, topping the brawl by the river, my little excursions to Hueco Muendo,_ any _fight I have ever had, began.

The old farts back in the tent gave me fifteen minutes to rampage through the Shinigami, and then I had to withdraw. I let loose a little reiatsu, and then they decided to give me twenty.

Ikkaku, Yumichika, and Yachiru had decided to join me. Fighting my way through the enemy, I tried to find someone that was just a _little _bit stronger than the people I was fighting. Even though there were lots of them, they were kind of weak. It was like eating junk food, and tonight I wanted to eat out.

Then, I spotted him. He was really short, with spiky white hair, but he wore a Captain's haori, and he seemed to be the one shouting orders. Ikkaku and I made for him at the same time.

Ikkaku noticed me, and stopped in his tracks. Noticing our sudden hesitation, someone tried impaling me. I grabbed him and threw him at Ikkaku.

Ikkaku ducked, and the guy crashed into a tree. So much for him.

"What the hell?!" Ikkaku screamed. "That guy's mine!"

"Fuck you!" I shouted back. "I saw him first!"

Ikkaku swore at me. "There's only one fair way to solve this!" He raised his fist.

"Jan-ken-pon!" we screamed. I won.

As Ikkaku swore, I charged the perplexed Captain.

----

Hitsugaya was very confused. He had just witnessed two grown men play… Jan-ken-pon, it looked like. He shook his head. He must be seeing things.

However, the sword that almost cut him in half was very real. Snapping himself back to his senses, he jumped back, avoiding his attacker's second strike. "Sit upon the frozen heavens, Ice Ring!" he shouted. (A/N: I don't know Japanese, so for the previous Zanpakuto names, I had to use English. For consistency's sake, I had to do the same thing here. Ice Ring=Hyouinmaru. Hyouinmaru sounds ten times cooler (no pun intended). Oh well.)

Zaraki chuckled. "Getting serious, eh?"

Zaraki charged Hitsugaya. _"He's fast!" he thought._ He raised his sword to defend himself.

The blade ran straight through Ice Ring, impaling him through the chest. Pain flashed throughout Hitsugaya's body, and the last thing he ever saw was the grin on the monster's face.

Someone flash stepped behind Zaraki. "Demon, your time is up."

"Already? Man, you guys aren't any fun." He turned to his opponent, who was now kneeling on the ground. "What's up with you? Later."

The two men left. As they turned their backs on Hitsugaya, one of his subordinates ran up to him. "Hitsugaya-taicho? Are you alright?"

Hitsugaya got to his feet, slowly. He passed a hand over his heart. Nothing. If that monster could make him see things with his reiatsu alone, he had to be strong.

Sealing, Hyouinmaru, he walked back to the command tent. Raising the flap, he entered the tent. Soifon was standing, pacing, and looking altogether furious.

"How many dead?" he asked briefly.

"About a dozen," she replied. "They were in a hurry, and didn't check to see if their opponents were actually dead. As a result, almost fifty men are wounded."

Hitsugaya had cursed. "What do we do now? Continue the siege with over sixty men incapable of battle?"

Soifon ran a hand through her hair. "No, actually," she snapped. "A hell butterfly just came in. We are to charge forward, ignore our losses and take the districts as soon as possible. We begin in two hours."

Hitsugaya was not surprised. He had entered the tent expecting madness, and he had gotten it.

"Exactly _why _are we supposed to ignore our losses?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Soifon frowned. "It's not in our place to question our orders."

Hitsugaya nodded. "Is it ever?" he muttered as he left the tent.

----

Kenpachi entered the 12th division confident that nobody would be suspicious of his presence. If he was confronted by other Shinigami, which was unlikely, given his stature as Captain, he would just respond that he was delivering paperwork. If the Shinigami actually _checked _to see if any paperwork had come in from the 11th, which was even _more _unlikely, he would just kill them. Oh no. What a pity.

He had replaced the drive he had stolen from Kurotsuchi's office with a fake. He had stolen all the passwords. Kurotsuchi would never notice. A self-proclaimed genius (not that he _wasn't_ a genius, just arrogant) would never rely on his backup password drives. So he just left it lying around. When he had first laid eyes on the captain, he knew that he was a first-class freak with something very useful just waiting to be stolen in his freak arsenal, and had immediately targeted his division. He had seen some incompetent fool sneak into his office to steal the drive, using it for the passwords.

He plugged the drive into a terminal and scrolled through the inventory and data lists. Useful…useful…not so useful… Oo, very useful, useful…

----

"Drink up, motherfuckers! You'll fight better if you're drunk!" Ikkaku shouted. He turned to Zaraki. "Ain't that right, Zaraki?"

Zaraki responded by draining his entire sake bottle in one gulp. As he slammed the bottle on the table, it shattered. "Crap," he muttered. "Someone give me another bottle."

The moment the bottle was handed to Zaraki, he struck his sword against the stone wall of the bar. Creating a spark, he snapped the handle of a chair off and made a torch. He lit the sake bottle on fire and threw it at the door.

The Molotov Cocktail hit the intruding Shinigami right in the chest. Screaming, he was immediately consumed in flames. Zaraki got up, grinning. "I can sense killer intent from a mile away, fuckers," he hissed. "So come out and fight like men!"

Ikkaku was right. Men did fight better when they were inebriated. Grabbing the nearest weapon, chair, or sake bottle, the thugs charged. At that moment in time, the world's biggest, baddest, bloodiest bar fight ever to occur in any of the three worlds was born.

The Shinigami that had looked inside the bar was a nobody. The bar had been situated close to the walls of the district, the better to welcome new travelers with a drink and a couple new scars to boast about. The fool had heard the noise coming from the bar, and, ignoring the cries of protest from his commanding officers, had opened the door, instead of waiting for his reinforcements to surround the building.

Not that it would really matter to the overall battle. In fact, when he opened the door, history was made. Zaraki was the first dead person to ever use a Molotov Cocktail in war. _Ever._

The moment he ran out the bar, Zaraki began to seek out the kid he had fought earlier. It wasn't very hard. He was leaking reiatsu out, cutting down thug after thug.

Zaraki, triumphant in his search, exclaimed in joy. "Gotcha!" he cackled. Raising his sword, he charged the white-haired captain.

"Sit upon the Frozen Heavens, Ice Ring!"

---

Blades of wind tore up the ground around Yachiru. She noticed Shinigami creeping up behind her and to her sides. She wouldn't show these people any mercy. They were invading her new home, attacking her friends, and trying to kill her. "Cutting Wind!" she shouted, twirling her Zanpakuto around. Dancing Wind spun around faster and faster, until it was just a blur. Wind blew her opponents back, and the blade sliced them up.

"Sting all enemies to perfect death, Hornet!" Yachiru turned to the new voice. It was a woman, wearing a captain's haori and a murderous expression on her face. "You will die," she seethed. (A/N: Suzumebachi=hornet. Command phrase=long, unwieldy, and nowhere near as cool as Shunsui and Juushiro's poems. On another note, you may begin chanting "cat fight" now.)

----

"Eh, Yumichika?" Ikkaku said. This was unusual, as Ikkaku was in the middle of a battle, and the middle of a battle is no time to talk.

"What?" Yumichika asked. His five bladed flail flashed in the sunlight. Behind him, Ikkaku could see many Shinigami writhing on the ground, several parallel scratch marks marring their skin.

"There Shinigami only brought along two captains, right?"

Yumichika nodded slowly.

"And Zaraki's got one of them, and Yachiru's got the other."

Yumichika nodded again.

"And I haven't even seen any lieutenants or third seats."

Yumichika swore.

A new wave of challengers came up to the two dejected men. Ikkaku turned to Yumichika. "You know, if this is going to be easy, might as well make it fun."

"Make two lines!" he shouted out, turning to the Shinigami. They hesitated, not used to being given orders by the enemy.

Ikkaku's eyes narrowed. "If you're going to die, isn't it best to do so with superficial wounds?"

Most of the Shinigami ran on the spot. Some stayed. They were not afraid of combat, and therefore, they were the only ones fit for battling the two men.

"Make the lines," Ikkaku said. "We're going to do this one-on-one."

Ikkaku stood with his back to a hill. He turned to the first man in his line. Raising his fist, he played the game. "Jan-ken-pon!"

The Shinigami won, taking the high ground. Determination burned in his eyes. Ikkaku liked that. He released Demon Lights. The wreckage of the bar was nearby, several unopened casks of sake just lying around.

"The next person in line has to go get sake!" he shouted. "These are fights to the death. And if you hold back, it'll get _messy._"

----

Butterflies covered Yachiru's body. On the other hand, Soifon was barely injured, and looking fresh.

Yachiru remembered the second division captain, and that she also led Onmitsukido. It was strange, because the last time she had saw the second division captain, she was tall, dark skinned, and definitely didn't have a stick up her ass as large as the one she saw up this one's.

The woman she was battling was kind of short and pale skinned, with black hair. Her Zanpakuto had a very wicked effect, judging by the "two hits in the same spot and you're dead" statement she had given. Already, she had been cut in several places. The battle was going to be an uphill battle for her. Of course, those were the ones that were always the most fun to fight. Grinning, she spun her Zanpakuto around, charging the captain.

Zaraki noticed Yachiru's plight. His fight with the small captain was going in his favor. The captain had pulled bankai, but, in Zaraki's eyes, it still wasn't enough. That dragon could fly circles around him all it wanted, but if it took a sword to the face, it would shatter, and the game would be over. Zaraki wasn't really sure how the kid had become Captain. Oh, no, it's ice. Release a bit of reiatsu and it melts.

Yachiru, on the other hand, looked like she was struggling against the captain she was fighting. He knew that she would hate him for helping her, but he didn't have much of a choice. He couldn't just let her die, could he? He called out to Hitsugaya. "Hey, kid, hurry it up. Get stronger or give up."

Hitsugaya cursed. The tall man was treating him like a child. He was young, and had only recently learned Bankai, and therefore only knew a few attacks. However, his limited arsenal would still suffice against his opponent

Swinging his crescent chain blade forward, he caught Zaraki around the chest. Unfazed, the larger man grabbed the chain and yanked. Hitsugaya flew forward, but he didn't care. "Thousand Years' Ice Prison!"

Ice crushed Zaraki, freezing him. When it crumbled, it didn't kill him, but he was unconscious. Hitsugaya moved forward to finish him off.

But Zaraki was the hero. And the hero never dies.

A man, robed in black, stepped forward in front of the body. Nobody had ever seen his face clearly before, and his strange gait made it difficult to estimate his height. Black cloth covered his entire body, so you couldn't tell what skin color he was.

But, if you lived in Zaraki, you knew his name.

And you _never _messed with him.

"It appears," he said. "That you have dispatched Demon. You must be very strong."

"I'm not a Captain for nothing."

The man grinned, almost imperceptibly, as he nodded in agreement. He drew his Zanpakuto. "Put out the sun, Dark Reaper."

The blade changed, becoming a scythe. _"Just like the Grim Reaper," Hitsugaya thought to himself._

And then the sun disappeared, just like Leader had commanded it to.

Review, Please.


	12. Fear is the Thing with Talons

Fear is the Thing with Talons

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach, Kubo Tite does. I only own my OC's, and if someone steals them without my permission, then I will _eat them._ You have been warned.

Yachiru could see the battle unfold. A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. Seeing what her opponent saw, Soifon couldn't help but be stunned.

"Sorry," Yachiru breathed. "I've only seen Leader's shikai once before, and I didn't see anyone come out alive or sane."

Soifon's eyes narrowed. "You underestimate us Captains," she hissed.

Yachiru grinned in return. "You underestimate us as well, bitch." Grabbing her Zanpakuto like a spear, she charged Soifon.

Her opponent wasn't going to let this battle drag on any further. Soifon had been trained by the Goddess of Flash herself, and had put her skills to good use. Yachiru never saw the blade poised to impale her in the stomach, right where Soifon had struck her before.

The blade pierced her body, and she fell.

Ikkaku and Yumichika appeared beside her mere seconds after she fell. Ikkaku gave Soifon a look. "You've killed her, haven't you?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Soifon still hadn't been able to perfect Hornet's ability, and the woman had about a 50-50 chance of survival.

Ikkaku nodded, pleased. "Good, good," he said. "Well, you've defeated her, and now it's our turn to have a little fun. Or rather, it's _my _turn."

Yumichika glared. He raised the fist, and they played the game.

Ikkaku won.

-----

Hitsugaya looked around him. He was panicking. He looked into the sky, but there was nothing but a deep, unyielding blackness. He was surrounded by darkness. It threatened to envelop his very soul.

Hitsugaya heard the scythe coming, and saw the glint of sunlight reflecting off the blade. Instinctively, he extended his wings, raising his sword to defend himself. He could see the scythe reflecting light, hear it slice through the air and feel the wind it made as it passed over his skin. Or was it just his imagination?

The blade sliced off sections of Hitsugaya's ice dragon like a zanpakuto through a hollow's mask. Hitsugaya regenerated them immediately. He was beginning to think rationally now. "Icicle Flock!" he shouted, leaping off the ground. The young captain hadn't had much time to practice this move, and the ground the hail of icicles managed to cover wasn't very large. Still, the scythe stopped swinging. Hitsugaya breathed a sigh of relief.

"Despair," Leader said.

The darkness around Hitsugaya crushed in on him. He could feel his wings being compressed and he could hear his Bankai shatter. He barely had time to regenerate it to defend himself before the black walls closed in on him. Straining, Hitsugaya channeled more and more reiatsu to his wings to hold off the onslaught.

Suddenly, the pressure disappeared. And still, Hitsugaya could not see the sun.

"Rage."

The darkness began to rain down around him. It felt like the sky itself was falling as chunks of black poured down from all sides. Right next to him, a piece of Leader's shikai fell, sending debris everywhere.

But Hitsugaya had seen the man in black, standing above the carnage, directing his attacks towards the captain. His shikai was a dome, a black dome, formed from his reiatsu. When he began to collapse it, he had revealed, if only for an instant, his position.

Hitsugaya leapt upwards towards Leader. "Dragon Hail Flower!"

Leader raised his scythe to defend. As the two swords Zanpakutos clashed, the reiatsu the two combatants emitted flattened everything around the battle for hundreds of meters.

----

The small girl could feel the battle, four districts away. She could hear the clash of swords, smell the blood, and feel the reiatsu. Her parents were wary of her. The entire district was afraid of her, but she didn't know why.

She would find out soon enough.

----

Shunsui and Ukitake were drinking. Every once in a while, they would get together, just like two old friends should, and drink the night away.

Hitsugaya's lieutenant Matsumoto had joined in on the fun, as had her two friends, Izuru Kira and Shuhei Hisagi. Predictably, they were drunk. Their respective Captains would not be very happy when they turned up at the office hungover the next morning.

In Hitsugaya's absence, Matsumoto was her own Captain, and therefore had "excused" herself from doing any of the paperwork. The third seat had requested transfer, and had been denied. He had contemplated suicide, but he was a man, in more ways than one. It was hard to commit suicide when your well-endowed superior was sidling up against you, begging you to reconsider.

Matsumoto sighed. She missed her Captain, to tell the truth. It was boring around the Division without him.

Shunsui, surprisingly, was still sober. The two senior Captains were talking in low tones. The three lieutenants were far too inebriated to care or even comprehend what they were saying.

"I'm telling you Juushiro, that man was up to something in the 12th division. I saw him," Shunsui insisted

Juushiro was skeptical. "Are you _sure _you weren't hallucinating again? Remember those visions you had about Yama-jii in our Academy days?"

Shunsui sighed. This was the reputation you built up when you were renowned as the Gotei 13 drunk. "Yes, I am sure. He was walking out of the 12th, and didn't look like he was up to anything good. For one thing, when I asked about his visit, none of the 12th division members knew anything about it, and those who did thought he was delivering paperwork, _but there wasn't any."_

"Well, we can't tell Yamamoto about it, can we?" Juushiro said. "We can't present anything without conclusive evidence. If we do, Yamamoto-sensei will just inform Kenpachi of our accusations, and then the game's up. And that man is smart; he'll probably find some way to cover his tracks."

Shunsui shrugged submissively. "We'll just have to wait and see if he slips up, that's all."

----

Ikkaku growled. It was a low, primal sound, reverberating in his chest. This woman wasn't a captain for nothing, but she looked unfamiliar.

"What's your name?" Ikkaku asked.

"Soifon, 2nd Division Captain and Leader of the Onmitsukido."

Ikkaku raised his eyebrows. "Wasn't that Shihohin woman leader-"

Her eyes flashing murder, Soifon shunpoed in front of Ikkaku. "Do not," she hissed. "Mention that name lightly in my presence."

Ikkaku grinned, raising his Zanpakuto to defend himself. "That's more like it."

----

"Lust."

Blackness rose up around Leader, defending him from Hitsugaya's strike. Dragon Hail Flower's effect, however, was not halted. Ice spread itself around the defensive shield, encasing it and trapping Leader inside.

Hitsugaya willed the ice to shatter, hopefully killing his challenger. The captain had encountered enough strong enemies for the day.

"Insanity," Leader said. Hitsugaya swore. Fragments of Dark Reaper flew at Hitsugaya, spinning and curving randomly.

_"Shit," Hitsugaya thought. "I can't predict their movements!"_

Most of the pieces embedded themselves in Hitsugaya's wings, but one of them impaled itself into his chest. Hitsugaya fell, his bankai dissolving around him.

Leader looked down at his fallen adversary, satisfied. Suddenly, Hitsugaya's crescent blade whipped itself around Leader's neck. His scythe fell from his hands.

"A clone," Leader observed.

Hitsugaya raised his sword to impale Leader. Ice Ring sped towards Leader's chest.

"Bankai: Shadow King Dark Reaper!"

----

Yumichika observed the fight between Soifon and Ikkaku dispassionately. Truth be told, he believed that Ikkaku might lose this one, and considering Ikkaku's opponent's disposition, he would be killed.

Something coughed up blood by his feet. Deftly avoiding the spray of blood that would have _ruined _his absolutely _beautiful_ shirt with the _ugly _blood, he looked down at the fallen Shinigami.

"Well," he coughed. "Aren't you going to help your friend?"

Yumichika looked down at the man, irritated by his stupidity. "Are you blind? That's a one on one fight."

The Shinigami glared at Yumichika. "So you're going to let him die? Soifon taichou will kill him."

"I have faith in Ikkaku," Yumichika replied. "And I also know that Ikkaku values his pride over his life."

The Shinigami coughed up more blood. "I remember you. You used to be in the 11th, and when you left, you almost killed your own comrades. Some of them still haven't recovered. You're evil," he spat.

"You simply think that I am evil," Yumichika countered. "I believe that all fights should be _real _fights with no mercy. Those fools tried to stop Ikkaku and me, and we simply pushed them out of the way."

"Have you no respect for your comrades??!!"

"Have _you _no respect for battle?"

Ikkaku charged Soifon, ecstatic. Raising his spear above his head, he brought the segmented shaft swinging down on his enemy. Soifon lazily dodged the blow, and struck back with Hornet. Ikkaku barely managed to avoid getting grazed with the deadly stinger.

Ikkaku had let the fight drag on for a much longer time than Yachiru. He had noticed that the butterfly effect that Soifon's Zanpakuto had only lasted about an hour- a couple of the marks that had appeared on his body early in the fight had disappeared.

"Split!" Ikkaku shouted. He yanked off the head of his spear, jabbing it at Soifon's side. At the same time, he swung the other two sections of his Zanpakuto at Soifon's head.

Soifon chose the lesser of two evils. Using Hornet to block the head of the spear, she was left open. The segments acted like a club, slamming into her head.

Soifon growled in pain and annoyance. This man was more skilled than her previous opponent, and he certainly wasn't letting her gain many advantages.

----

The Central 46 was shocked. They had expected Zaraki's occupation to be a swift operation, an excuse to hang a "job well done" poster and have a drinking party. Well, they were old men and women, so they may not have been thinking along those lines, but they were still stunned by the ineptitude of the Gotei 13.

The Central 46 are not known for their creativity. If there is a problem, they are renowned for using brute force to solve the problem, screw the consequences.

So it was only natural that Yamamoto received orders from the Central 46 to send in more troops and captains.

----

_Stop._

Hitsugaya froze, his blade inches away from impaling Leader. Wasting no time, Leader quickly disentangled himself from Hitsugaya's chain blade, and shunpoed out of sight.

Hitsugaya whirled around, trying to find his enemy. He had no idea what had stopped him from killing the man.

_Fear me._

Again, Hitsugaya froze, cowering from the voice. What was that voice?

Leader's blade almost decapitated Hitsugaya. The young captain had leapt back just before Leader's scythe whirred past his neck. In his bankai, Leader's scythe was longer, with a white handle. The scythe's blade was pure black. There wasn't a single patch of bare skin showing- he was garbed in long, flowing robes of darkness that completely covered his body.

Recovering his senses, Hitsugaya pressed on the attack. He raised his sword, ice wings extended behind him, his tail poised to strike. Ice Ring crashed down on Leader's scythe, throwing him backwards.

The captain was perplexed. As far as he could tell, Leader hadn't gotten any stronger. If anything, he was a bit weaker than he was in his shikai.

_FEAR ME!_

Hitsugaya's eyes dilated, and he stumbled backwards in fear. He swung his arms around, trying to catch the person that was whispering in his ear, who was whispering _in his mind._

The scythe slammed into Hitsugaya's chest, drawing blood. Lips drawn back in a predatory snarl, Hitsugaya lashed back. Ice Ring smashed into Leader's face, and blood spurted out of the wound.

_Run, coward._

Hitsugaya was whimpering in fear now. He had to run. His primal instincts were telling him to run. But he held his ground. His eyes frantically darted around the battlefield. Where was the man? _Where was he?_

"Thousand Years' Ice Prison!" he shouted.

_**FEAR ME!**_

The ice dissolved instantly, stopped in its tracks by its wielder's own fear. Hitsugaya's eyes narrowed down on Leader. He was playing with his mind, making him think things, making him fear. If he killed the man, the voices would stop. "_The damned voices will stop if I kill that man," he thought. "So I'll FUCKING KILL HIM! Shut him out, damnit. SHUT HIM OUT!"_

Again, Hitsugaya charged Leader. He ignored the scythe swinging down to meet his chest; _he just had to kill the man._

An image flashed through his mind. It was Hinamori, lying dead. Her body was being ripped apart by a hollow. A hollow that he had failed to kill.

The vision made Hitsugaya hesitate just long enough for Leader to dodge Hitsugaya's thrust so that it wouldn't kill him. Instead, it passed through his thigh, impaling it and making Leader spasm in pain.

Leader's scythe again slammed into Hitsugaya's body, creating a new scar. The captain welcomed the pain. Any feeling, any emotion besides the _fear _was preferable.

"You… fucking… BASTARD!" he screamed. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

Leader was impressed. At this stage, most had been driven insane several minutes ago, a couple strong ones had been brought to the very edge, but he hadn't seen any that still wanted to kill him.

Conjuring images took a lot out of him. Usually, he had to wait about twenty seconds before he could do a new one. He steeled himself for the onslaught of blows that was to come. He never was very proficient at hand to hand fighting.

Hitsugaya's first strike crashed into his scythe, creating a small crack. His second strike blew Leader backwards like a leaf. The captain was no longer relying on skill or technique. He was going to kill Leader with the brute strength that his bankai's reiatsu increase granted him alone.

The third strike completely destroyed the scythe, sending shrapnel flying everywhere. One piece embedded itself in leader's side, leaving a deep gash. Quickly reforming his Zanpakuto with his reiatsu, Leader barely managed to save himself from Hitsugaya's fourth strike.

Leader mustered up all the reiatsu he could, and prepared himself for a marathon. Shadow King Dark Reaper reached into his opponent's mind and whispered things to them, igniting their deepest fears. Leader would usually do this one at a time, but under the circumstances, it would be best to go for a long shot.

Hitsugaya flinched. The visions were coming back. _"Ignore them. They aren't real," he told himself._

Being shut out by Hinamori because he was so cold, so _frigid. _Losing the respect of all the captains simply because he was a child with white hair and menacing eyes. The Central 46 condemning everyone he cared about into slavery and death. The Rukongai districts overrun by their forces, millions of souls tortured and killed while he stood by, doing _nothing._ His entire division, slaughtered by hollows, and Hitsugaya hadn't been able to defend them. _He was too weak to defend them._ Matsumoto- dead. Hinamori- dead. He saw Kusaka, his only friend, killed by his own hands. He looked at his hands in horror and disgust. _Kusaka was killed by these hands._ _You swore to protect Momo, but you failed her, Toshiro. __**You failed them all.**_

_**Run, coward.**_

_**Fear life. Fear death. Fear everything.**_

_**Fear me, and fall.**_

Hitsugaya did not move. Leader couldn't waste any time. He could already feel exhaustion seeping into his body, and he signaled a team of medics to standby.

The scythe sliced across Hitsugaya's neck and upper torso. Blood spouted from the wound like a fountain, and the captain fell, just as Leader had commanded.

Leader staggered to the ground, using his scythe for support. Cursing, he released his Zanpakuto, and almost passed out. Forcing himself back to consciousness, he allowed the medics to tend to him.

_That perches in the soul._

_And eats away til nothing's left._

_And never stops._

_At all._

Review please. The poem is inspired by Emily Dickinson. I warped it into something that was the complete opposite of what she wrote. Sorry, dead person.


	13. Fly to the Battle

A/N: If anyone knows the Japanese translations for "Twirl, Dancing Wind" "Cutting Wind" "Raze, Bloody Flame" "Flow, Mercury" "Put out the sun, Dark Reaper" or "Shadow King Dark Reaper" please tell me. I'm pretty sure shadow king would be kazeou, and I refuse to rely on Inuyasha for Cutting Wind. I have revised the other chapters, and came to the conclusion that chapter 1-3 sucked. Grammatical errors and nonsensical plot mistakes galore. There are less errors by 4.

Fly to the Battle

A messenger knocked on the 11th division's third seat's door. "Come in," he called out.

The messenger, being respectful to his superiors, bowed. "Do you know where Kenapchi taicho is? I have a message for him."

Ichinose Maki shook his head. "I'm sorry, but the captain usually takes his break around that time. Can I take a message?"

The messenger handed out a scroll to Ichinose. "Yes, of course." The man exited the room.

Ichinose sat back down at his desk, putting the scroll in a drawer. He respected his captain more than anything else. When he had graduated from the Shinigami Academy, he had been placed at random in the 11th division. He did not expect his position there to last long. Those who did not share the 11th division's fanatical love of battle were immediately transferred to other divisions.

However, the new captain was much more welcoming. To him, all were welcome in his division. He had embraced kido-type Zanpakutos, preaching that if it made the wielder stronger, than they should use it. He had shunned the previous 11th division policy of constantly seeking battle, adopting a policy that only battles for the good of Soul Society should be actively sought out and enjoyed. Those were the fights that he lived for- fights for peace and stability. Killing the fools that dared disturb Soul Society's peace was Kenpachi-taicho's goal in life. His parents had been killed by thugs, and he had devoted the rest of his life to fighting those like his parent's murderers. Ichinose respected and loved him as a captain for that. Kenpachi-taicho had proven his prowess in battle time after time again. He would never fall. He was invincible. Though his love of money was one of his more undesirable traits, it was to be expected for one who had spent his childhood penniless in the 55th Rukongai district.

Ichinose signed off his acknowledgment on the last report the piled he had been assigned contained, vanquishing the beast that was known as Paperwork. He sipped his tea, waiting for his captain to return.

----

Kenpachi looked over the scroll that the fool Ichinose had given him. It had been far too easy to convince the man to see him as a peace loving soul. Kenpachi laughed at the idea. A hollow, loving peace and stability. It was laughable. Humans were born with holes in their hearts that no wealth, no good fortune, and no power could ever fill. Hollows simply showed them to the world. They were the beings that put masks on their faces to hold in all the emotions except the one that really mattered- the raw instinct to kill, to eat, to conquer, and to become the kings.

The Kido mask that Kenpachi had put on had completely changed his looks. Now, he had silky brown hair, framing his handsome face. He had twinkling eyes and a charming smile. When the hollow had looked himself in the mirror he had been mildly disgusted with himself.

The scroll had the Central 46's seal of approval. It commanded him, along with Captains Kuortsuchi and Ichimaru to reinforce captains Hitsugaya and Soifon in the Zaraki district. Kenpachi couldn't appreciate the irony any more than he was right now. Unohana was also going to provide medical support. She had been sent several hours earlier.

There were still some loose ends he hadn't tied up in Zaraki. That kid, the one that the Shinigami had been protecting. He didn't know what had happened to him. Saru's companion as well, should still be in the Gotei 13, but she wasn't, and this bothered Kenpachi. She might have been killed by a hollow, but Kenpachi wasn't willing to take that risk. If she showed up in Zaraki, he would deal with her.

And of course, he was a hollow. How could he resist paying a little house call to his old friends, even if they didn't know who he was?

----

Unohana's patient screamed. Quickly, the woman sedated him. The procedure she was about to perform on him would be exceedingly painful if you were awake, and Unohana didn't want the wails of men in pain distracting her from her work.

The battle was littered with the wounded for Unohana and Isane to tend to, both Shinigami and thugs. She had commanded her subordinates to heal all those they could find.

It was often difficult to know exactly what was wrong with a patient. Sometimes it was Kido, sometimes it was poison, sometimes it was just cuts and broken bones. Always, the injuries were severe. The Shinigami had been trained to keep fighting if they sustained only light injuries, and this was the result.

Even worse, Unohana was unfamiliar with some of the Kido that the enemy was using. Away from the watchful eyes of the Gotei 13, nobody knew what kind of monstrous inventions they were creating and using on the shinigami right this moment.

Unohana sighed. War was hell, and nothing would ever change that.

----

Zaraki woke up in Leader's tent. He immediately reached for his sword. Leader walked into his tent. "Where's the white-haired bastard?" he demanded.

Leader kept his cool. "He has been disposed off."

"By who? Tell me so I can rip his head off! That guy was mine!"

Leader glared. "By _me._"

Zaraki looked scandalized. "The kid wasn't even _fresh._ I had been battling him for too long."

"There were no injuries that impeded his ability to fight. You toy with your opponents far too much, Demon."

Zaraki sat back down, depressed. He picked up his sword, which was lying by his bed, and twirled it around. "So, where's everybody else?"

"Still fighting."

Zaraki disappeared. Leader slowly shook his head. _"Am I the only sane person in this hellhole? How ironic, considering my sword."_

Dark Reapers chuckled in the depths of Leader's mind.

----

Hanatarou was scampering around the battlefield, looking for wounded to heal on the spot, and to bring to Unohana-taicho for further medical examination. It was a dangerous life.

Hanatarou heard footsteps. Quickly, he dove for cover behind a mound of bodies.

Zaraki didn't fall for it. He looked over the mound, observing the entirely unimpressive man. "And who the hell are you, Shinigami?"

Hanatarou broke into cold sweat. He wondered where he would be reincarnated in the Real World. He hoped that it was someplace nice.

"Y-Y-Yamada Hanataro," he stammered, frozen in fear. "4th Division Shinigami."

The tall man looked confused. "Wait a second, you're a Shinigami?"

Hanataro nodded. "A medic."

"You don't fight, do you."

Hanataro shook his head in reply.

Zaraki grunted, muttering something that sounded like "Useless much?" Suddenly, he spotted a white hair, and the remains of a Captain's haori among the bodies littering the field. He directed Hanataro's attention towards Hitsugaya.

"H-hitsugaya taicho!" Hanataro exclaimed. Suspiciously, he turned towards Zaraki. "Why do you want me to heal him?"

Zaraki shrugged. "He was pretty strong, and I lost to him. I look forward to a rematch. So heal him."

Hanataro nodded slowly. "So… you want me to heal him so you can beat him back up, and possibly kill him?"

Zaraki frowned. "Probably not kill. I try not to kill people who are stronger than me, unless they piss me off."

"I refuse."

Zaraki let his reiatsu flow over the surrounding landscape. Plants shriveled and died. Hanataro collapsed to the ground, shivering.

"Come again?"

"I'll do it, I'll do it!"

----

Hanatarou entered Unohana's medic tent with Hitsugaya draped over his shoulder. He had performed the basic medical kid on the captain, sealing the massive wounds and restoring blood.

"Lay him on the bed," Unohana commanded. Gently setting the young captain down, Hanataro exited the tent to look for more wounded soldiers.

Unohana studied Hitsugaya. Judging by the reiatsu residue coating his body, he had been in bankai when he had fallen, indicating that his opponent was strong. _Very _strong. Unohana would have to be on the lookout for this person.

Judging by the reiatsu bursts off in the distance, Soifon and an unknown Zaraki thug were still fighting. Unohana could also sense an onlooker, not involving himself in the battle. Possibly a frightened Shinigami.

Unohana began to operate on Hitsugaya, repairing internal damage and healing, to some extent, his numerous broken bones.

Then his eyes fluttered open, and he screamed.

Unohana didn't flinch from this reaction. Psychological damage, she figured. "Calm down," she ordered in her soothing, motherly voice.

Hitsugaya snapped his head towards her. "Get away from me, woman!" he snarled, picking up his sword.

In an instant, Unohana had Hitsugaya restrained by kido. Ice Ring was knocked out of his hands. "LET ME GO!" he screamed. "LET ME _GO!"_

The white haired captain began to sob uncontrollably. "Please," he begged.

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Hitsugaya-taicho," Unohana replied. Stealthily, her hand wrapped around her sedater. "I'll be back."

Hitsugaya was too busy sobbing to care that he was being abandoned. The moment she was out of her patient's sight, she sedated him, and quickly used a Kido scan to examine his state of mind.

It shocked her. Apparently, Hitsugaya had gone through a mental ordeal so tremendous that his brain had shut down temporarily. Everything but the captain's heartbeat would have stopped. Unohana surmised that this would have been when his enemy had struck.

The doctor was disgusted, both with the child's unknown assailant and with her own Captain Commander. _Yamamoto _had allowed Hitsugaya to take a place in the Gotei 13, and look where it had landed him. It would take months, maybe years, for Hitsugaya to be the same, and even then, he would be more withdrawn than ever.

Unohana swore that she would hunt down the man who had done this to Hitsugaya.

And then she would kill him.

----

"Hey, Yumichika."

"Zaraki! Where have you been? You've missed some of the good parts?"

Zaraki cleared his throat, blushing. "I… ah…"

Yumihcika stared. "You got defeated, didn't you."

Zaraki nodded. Yumichika began to laugh. Zaraki drew his sword. Yumichika looked defiantly into Zaraki's eyes. "It's payback time," he hissed.

Zaraki let loose his reiatsu, but Yumichika didn't back down. "Bloom, Wisteria Peacock!"

Yumichika didn't get the chance to attack Zaraki. He was too busy dodging the sword that was hurtling towards his chest, threatening to impale him. "Shit," he muttered.

Unohana towered over Yumichika, her sword in her hand. Her haori fluttered in the wind, and Yumichika and Zaraki noticed the woman's status at the same time.

"Captain!" the shouted. Then they turned to glare at each other. "I haven't got a chance to fight one of these, you bastard!" Yumichika shouted.

"Yeah, well, I don't give a fuck!" Zaraki retorted. "She's fucking mine!"

Unohana's reiatsu flowed over the two men, halting their… conversation, if you could call it that. "Excuse me," she said. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. In fact, Zaraki could sense the killing intent emanating them. "Did either of you encounter a small, white haired boy in the battle?"

Yumichika subconsciously backed up. "Who are you, his mother?"

"That is not of your concern."

Zaraki's reiatsu flowed out of him, matching Unohana's. He grinned. "You're pretty strong, aren't you?"

Ikkaku flew past the pair, slamming into the ground. His head rolled to one side, just as Soifon leapt in for the kill.

Yumichika stepped in between the captain and his friend. He was smiling. "Ikkaku lost, didn't he? Now it's my turn," he said. He ran a critical eye up and down the woman, taking in her unimpressive figure. He recalled the previous captain of the second division, a woman with gorgeous eyes and very respectable curves. He frowned. "You're not very beautiful, comparing you to the other captain. What was her name? Yoruichi Shihohin, wasn't it?"

The only reason Soifon didn't cut him off at the mention of her former captain's name was because she was too busy emitting so much killer intent it almost matched Zaraki's. "Excuse me?" she hissed.

"What?"

"I'm going to _fucking kill you."_

Yumichika was pleased that the woman was going to be serious, but was rather puzzled by her reaction. "I'm sorry," he said. "Was it something I said?"

Zaraki shook his head slowly. Unohana smiled. "That man is very vain, isn't he?"

Ikkaku stirred, lifting his head. "Hey, Zaraki. When did you get here."

Unsteadily getting to his feet, he noticed the battle between Soifon and Yumichika. "Why the hell is Yumi taking my opponent?"

"Cause you lost, Ikkaku," Zaraki grunted.

An Omnitsukido appeared out of nowhere and swung his sword at Ikkaku. Almost lazily, he sidestepped, and swung his Zanpakuto's hilt at the man's midsection. A sickening _crunch _was heard as the man flew backwards.

"Is there anyone else to fight?" he muttered. Suddenly, his eyes alighted on Unohana. "Hey, a captain!"

Leader appeared next to the pair. He cleared his throat, alerting the three to his presence. "You know," he said. "Your forces have been mostly killed or injured. You have no hope of taking the district."

Unohana smiled. "It is not my place to command the troops. I am but a simple medic," she said. She let her killer intent flow over Leader. "Did you encounter a white haired captain during the battle?"

Leader shook his lead. "No," he lied. Zaraki and Ikkaku were intelligent enough to know that Leader wasn't looking for a fight with Unohana, and they shut their mouths.

----

Kenpachi and his troops marched through the 70th district. There, something odd caught his eye. A family of three, a pink haired girl and her two parents were walking through the streets. He could distinctly notice several discreetly positioned armed men keeping an eye on the family. They were bodyguards, and bodyguards indicated wealth. He could identify the family's clothing as one worn by Kusajishi residents.

He could hear the battle raging four districts ahead. He motioned for his troops to pick up the pace. He licked his lips, anticipating the fight that would meet him up ahead.

----

Unohana had left to find the man who had mentally scarred Hitsugaya, and Leader breathed a sigh of relief. He noticed the battle going on between Soifon and Yumichika, and decided to intervene, ignoring Zaraki and Ikkaku's cries of protest. "Don't worry," he said, irritated. "I can direct my attacks so that they only hit one person, you know. Put out the sun, Dark Reaper."

As the dome expanded over the pair, Zaraki swore. "You idiot! That's Yumichika's fight!"

A blank expression filled up Leader's face. "This is war, Demon. We outnumber the woman four to one, and you refuse to act?"

"It's a one-on-one fight for _pride!_ Can't you respect that!" Ikkaku exclaimed.

Suddenly, Leader's eyes widened. He collapsed the dome that had expanded around the two, revealing the outcome of the small skirmish that had taken place inside.

Soifon collapsed to the ground, unconscious, with a victorious Yumichika standing over her. The three men's jaws hit the floor. Ikkaku realized that this meant that Yumichika must be a better fighter than him. He reached for his sword to commit seppuku.

Meanwhile, Yumichika's mind was racing to think up an explanation for his sudden victory. Grinning, he came up with one.

"She was afraid of the dark."

Zaraki broke down laughing, and Ikkaku dropped his sword, incredulous. Leader just stared.

And then the Shinigami cavalry arrived.


	14. Death God Fears Death

Death God Fears Death

The little girl didn't have a name. Her parents feared her, so they didn't give her one. She had no friends among the other district children. They, as well, feared her.

The parents were buying meat from a butcher's booth. The little girl watched blood drip down from the assorted pieces of meat, fascinated. Giggling, she picked up a knife, waving it around.

The butcher almost pissed his pants. "Put that down!" he commanded, quickly backing up. The little girl looked up at the startled man with bright, shining eyes. Laughing, she licked the blood off of her fingers.

The butcher looked horrified. He closed up shop. "No service for freaks like you."

The parents glared at their child. "Look what you've done now!" They took out a roll of money. "Here, double."

"Fine," the butcher snapped.

----

"Ikkaku, get Yachiru to some sort of medical station," Zaraki commanded. _"Hell will freeze over before something gets to hurt her."_

Ikkaku cleared his throat. "Uh, well, see…"

"What?"

"Do you know if she's alive or not? Cause that girl on the floor said she had a 50-50…"

"If it's poison or something, then it won't hurt her. She's stronger than that."

Gin appeared in front of Ikkaku. "Shoot him, Divine Spear." The small blade extended, almost impaling Ikkaku.

Zaraki's blade slammed down on the strange Zanpakuto, causing it to veer off course. "Go, Ikkaku," he commanded. He turned towards his opponent. "Let's get this show on the road."

Gin widened his grin in agreement. "Quite," he responded. He retracted his blade, and then swung it down in an arc. Divine Spear extended again, hurtling towards Zaraki. He raised his sword to block it, but didn't anticipate the force the swing had behind it.

Zaraki was tossed backwards several feet, sliding along the ground until he skidded to a halt. Gin didn't let him recover. Immediately shunpoing to his side, he thrust Divine Spear towards Zaraki's stomach.

The blade ran Zaraki through, spurting blood everywhere.

Gin, finished with his enemy, turned towards Leader. "Well," Gin said casually. "So much for him."

"Put out the-"

A sudden burst of reiatsu cut him off. Gin turned around, actually opening his eyes.

"You know, it's considered impolite to turn your back on your enemy during battle, Shinigami."

Gin's grin widened. "My _name _is Ichimaru Gin."

"And mine is Zaraki."

Divine Spear sped toward Zaraki, threatening to decapitate him. Zaraki leapt to the side, avoiding the thrust, and swung his sword at Gin. The captain lazily sidestepped, and as Zaraki struck again he didn't even bother to attack.

Unexpectedly, Zaraki shot his arm out, grabbing Gin by the throat and slamming him into the ground. Blood from Zaraki's stomach wound dripped down onto Gin's face and uniform, staining his haori.

Gin cursed. "_Carriage of Thunder. Bridge of a spinning wheel. With light, divide this into six! _Bakudo Number 61: Rikujokoro!" (Six Rods Prison of Light!)

Six beams of light slammed into Zaraki's upper torso, forcing him to let go of Gin. Almost effortlessly, Zaraki broke the Kido spell.

Gin rolled out of the way of Zaraki's next strike. "Hado Number 33: Sokatsui!" (Blue Fire, Crash Down!)

Zaraki batted away the blast of blue energy with his sword. The Kido spell careened away, blasting a massive crater into the ground. Debris showered the two fighters.

"I really _hate it _when you Shinigami do that."

Gin chuckled. "Get used to it. If you upstart lil' brats want to wage war against the Shinigami, yer going to have to face a lot of large explosions."

"No, no, you misunderstand. I just don't like crappy poetry."

Gin smiled. "Bakudo Number 21: Sekienton!"(Red Smoke Escape!)

The smokescreen blinded Zaraki, and when it cleared, Gin had disappeared. "Sneaky bastard," he murmured. "Come on out!"

Zaraki heard the blade whistling towards his torso before he saw or felt it. He knew that if he moved out of the way, the Shinigami would just retract his blade and attack from a different angle, and the process would just repeat itself. That would be boring. Zaraki _hated _boring stuff.

Just as the blade penetrated Zaraki's skin, he whipped around, swing his sword towards Gin's face. With Divine Spear stuck in Zaraki's torso, he couldn't maneuver out of the way. "This'll make it a lot easier for you to keep smiling," Zaraki said.

Zaraki's sword made it into Gin's mouth, cutting his cheek. Gin's eyes widened as the blade sliced through his mouth, cutting open the skin.

Gin spat blood out of his mouth. Experimentally, he moved his jaw around, noting the pain that accompanied the movement. He grinned.

"Well, this would be my cue to exit," Gin said.

Zaraki didn't understand. "Excuse me? You don't leave until the fight is over."

"That's for me to decide, not you."

Gin disappeared. Zaraki's jaw dropped stunned. He turned to Yumichika, who was similarly surprised.

"Did that guy just… run away?"

Yumichika recovered his senses. "I… believe so, Zaraki."

Zaraki scratched his head. "Why would he do that?"

"…Because he fears death? Zaraki, I don't really understand these people."

Zaraki sat down, waiting for someone strong to come along. "Neither do I, Yumichika. Neither do I."

----

Renji observed the battle around him. They were outside the 76th, a few districts away from where he had used to live with Rukia and all their friends. And now, their friends were dead, Rukia had been adopted by the Kuchikis, and the head of said noble family was now Renji's captain. He shook his head. How did life get this _fucking _complicated?

Suddenly, he heard a voice shout out. "Hey, it's Renji!"

Renji whipped his head around. He knew that voice. It was Yumichika, the guy who had deserted the Shinigami.

Renji heard another voice, this one unfamiliar. It was lower than Yumichika's. "Is he strong?"

"Fuck you Zaraki, he's mine!"

Kira had asked Kuchiki-taicho permission to bring Renji along, and Kuchiki had allowed Kira to do it. Renji needed battle experience, and every Shinigami fought a war once in a while.

Renji had become friends with Ikkaku and Yumichika during his stay in the 11th. Ikkaku had trained him, and Yumichika tagged along sometimes. The two friends said that he was the only exciting person in Seiretei, the only person that they could get drunk with and fight with and not get busted for it.

And then they left, and Renji ticked up another two marks on his mental list of friends he had ever lost.

"Hey, Yumichika! Isn't that Renji?"

Renji turned around, and there was Ikkaku. He blinked his eyes a couple times.

"Uh…" he said.

"Ikkaku, where is she?" Zaraki asked.

"In some abandoned house in Kusajishi," Ikkaku responded. "It had some medical supplies, so I patched her up the best I could, and left her there."

Zaraki nodded. Yachiru could take care of herself, she would be fine.

Kira showed up next to Renji. He eyed Ikkaku and Yumichika. "You two," he said, with a hint of distaste. Kira's semi-pacifist views were known to all.

Killer intent washed over the five men. Zaraki turned his head in the direction it was coming from. "I'm off," he declared.

Ikkaku nodded, satisfied. "I'm going to see how strong Renji's become, Yumi," he said. "You can take Blondie."

Kira raised an eyebrow. "Blondie?"

----

Kenpachi Ryuuken was in a hurry to get things over with. There was so much he had to take a look into: the boy, the little girl with wealthy parents, and the Shinigami woman that had been with the other one when he had lost his body.

"Raze, Bloody Flame!" he shouted. His elongated knife appeared in his hands. Skillfully twirling it around, he slashed several of his opponents, causing very ugly burn marks to appear on their skin. The burns drove their way deeper into their victim's bodies, causing some of them to die on the spot.

Reiatsu washed over Kenpachi, alerting him to a strong opponent in the area. Turning his head towards the source of the reiatsu, he almost gasped.

It was the boy. Taller, more muscular, longer hair, but it was the boy.

_"Shit," he thought. "This is what happens when you don't tie up loose ends. They come back to fucking haunt you."_

Zaraki didn't recognize the knife. It had been such a long time ago, and he had already forgotten most of the details.

"Who are you?" Zaraki asked.

"Kenpachi Ryuuken," he responded. He noted the reiatsus of his former subordinates in the distance. "You have traitors in your midst."

Zaraki widened his grin. "So you're Ikkaku and Yumichika's former captain! Kenpachi, the holder of the title of the strongest swordsman."

Kenpachi nodded. "Why are you doing this? I do not wish to slaughter mindlessly." This wasn't true, of course, but it was best for Zaraki to think that he was relatively pacifist and not a murderer of a hollow. It wouldn't be good if he recognized him in the middle of a fight.

Zaraki frowned. "I don't like you," he said. "You claim to be the strongest swordsman, and you're ignoring all the fights around you."

Kenpachi just glared at him. He would have to kill the boy.

"I really didn't know _why _I was doing this until now," Zaraki said. "Now…"

"…I'm doing this to add the title 'Kenpachi' to my name."

--

"Howl, Snake Tail!"

"Extend, Demon Lights!"

The two men's reiatsus flared as each released his respective shikai. "So, Renji, get the hang of your shikai yet?"

Renji was not in the mood for small talk. "Why the hell did you leave, Ikkaku?"

Ikkaku narrowed his eyes. "You should know. It was too boring!"

"You fucking abandoned me, you bastard!"

Ikkaku raised his eyebrows. "We thought you would be okay. You and that Kuchiki girl-"

Renji didn't wait for Ikkaku to finish his sentence. He charged.

---

"Raise your head, Misery."

Yumichika frowned at the strangely shaped blade. "That blade is ugly."

_"What a narcissist," Kira thought. "Long, perfectly combed, shoulder length hair? When he flips his hair over his shoulder it looks practiced."_

"Bloom, Wisteria Peacock!"

_"Jesus. His Zanpakuto's named after a fucking peacock. The only thing he needs to do now his call himself beautiful."_

"This is a much more beautiful sword than that strangely shaped one."

_"Close enough."_

Kira shunpoed behind Yumichika. Raising Misery, he hit all five of Wisteria Peacock's blades at the same time.

Yumichika deftly switched his Zanpakuto to his left hand and slashed Kira across the stomach. The blades, with their increased weight, knocked Kira back several feet. Yumichika felt a bit of increased weight in his Zanpakuto, but dismissed it as his imagination. He wasn't very observant.

Kira got up, and hit Yumichika's blade five more times. Yumichika collapsed, straining to lift his now heavy sword up.

"Misery doubles the weight of whatever it touches," Kira explained. "You can't lift your sword."

Yumichika remained silent.

Kira hooked his opponent's head through the hole in Misery. "This sword can take your life," he said. "Don't judge things by their appearances."

Kira knocked Yumichika out with the flat of the blade. He was a traitor to Seireitei, and would be judged by the Central 46. Kira had no right to kill him.

Sealing Misery, Kira looked around for a new opponent.

----

Snake Tail whistled through the air, hurtling towards Ikkaku. The bald man batted it aside with his forearm, taking care not to cut the strings that held the blades together. He had seen what Renji could do with a broken Zabimaru. He had helped him learn the move. In fact, Ikkaku had been Bite of a Broken Baboon's Fang first (unwilling, damnit) first test subject. He had the scars to prove it.

Renji retrieved Zabimaru and launched another attack. _"Three times," Ikkaku told himself. "Then he has to take it back._"

Surprisingly, Snake Tail only lashed out twice before Renji retrieved it. Before Ikkaku got over his surprise, Renji was attacking again, swinging Snake Tail down towards Ikkaku.

"Hey, looks like you actually use your head now, Renji!" Ikkaku exclaimed. Ducking under Renji's first strike, he used Demon Lights to reflect the blow, sending Snake Tail careening back towards Renji.

Renji growled. "Hado Number 31: Shakkoho!"

The kido blew up in Renji's face, blinding him. Ikkaku broke down laughing. "Nice," he cackled. He shunpoed right in front of Renji, though Renji could not see him through the smoke. He swung Demon Lights down towards Renji's skull.

The red haired man managed to shunpo away just in time, cursing his own ineptitude at Kido. "_This is was you shouldn't have slept during those Kido classes," Renji thought._

Renji swung his sword at Ikkaku again, aiming for the man's chest. Ikkaku whipped out his sword, grabbing it by the two ends sections. Snake Tail was caught in the middle section, but it continued pushing forward. Ikkaku skidded backwards several feet before he shunpoed behind the defenseless Renji.

Demon Lights caught Renji across the back, causing him to stumble forward. Not giving him time to recover, Ikkaku sliced the tip of his spear across his opponent's left arm. Renji collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from his wound.

Quickly sealing Demon Lights, Ikkaku uncapped its hilt and took out the blood clotting ointment he stored there. He wouldn't leave a respected comrade, let alone Renji, to die. That just wasn't his style.

----

Bloody Flame slammed into Zaraki's sword, heating it up like iron in a furnace. Frowning, Zaraki increased his reiatsu, undoing the damage done to his blade.

Zaraki realized something.

He really didn't like kido Zanpakutos.

"Bakudo Number 62: Hundred Steps Fence!"

As the rods of reiatsu began to rain down on Zaraki, threatening to pin him to the ground, he realized another thing.

He really, really, _really, _hated kido.

Zaraki rolled out of the way of the majority of the rods. However, two of them managed to hit him, one of them pinning his left shoulder to the ground and the other hitting him in the stomach, winding him. It shattered on impact. His sword rolled out of his hands.

Quickly pulling the first rod out of his shoulder, Zaraki flung the condensed reiatsu at his enemy, temporarily stalling him from his attack. Snatching up his sword, Zaraki prepared to counterattack.

Zaraki's "counterattack" consisted of a mad frenzy of blows and sporadic reiatsu bursts. Zaraki's sword was damaged each time it came into contact with Bloody Flame, but he quickly used his reiatsu to repair the damage.

Kenpachi was being pushed back by the onslaught of blows. Snarling, he shunpoed behind Zaraki and slashed his back, burning it.

Zaraki winced in pain, a sight rarely seen. Quickly using his reiatsu to prevent Bloody Flame's effect from traveling any further, Zaraki whipped his sword around, slicing Kenpachi across the chest. Blood spurted out of the man's wound.

Kenpachi narrowed his eyes. It was time to kill the boy.

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	15. Checkmate

Checkmate

Gin surveyed the carnage surrounding him, pleased. The corpses of Zaraki's defendants littered the ground, killed by his Divine Spear.

A hell butterfly gracefully landed on his finger, relaying its message to him. Its job done, it fluttered away, back to Seireitei.

Gin smiled, slowly shaking his head. This was why he followed Aizen-sama. Under his reign, the world might actually achieve some degree of sanity.

The silver haired man shunpoed directly next to Kenpachi, who had obviously been on the verge of releasing his bankai. "Time to go," he proclaimed.

"Have they been defeated?" Kenpachi inquired.

"For the most part. When I sent in the report that only captain-level combatants remained, they ordered us to withdraw. These guys won't be trying anything major for a long time," Gin said, smirking.

Zaraki growled. "What makes you think that I won't stop you from running away this time, you pussy?"

Gin smiled even wider. He nodded behind Zaraki. "Her."

Unohana was a doctor, and generally preferred not to get involved in fights. Nevertheless, she had extensive knowledge concerning the human body and its weaknesses. When she pressed her thumb to a spot on Zaraki's neck, he collapsed, unconscious.

"Renji-fukutaicho was defeated," she told the two other captains. "However, I have incapacitated his opponent and retrieved him. He will make a full recovery."

Gin nodded. "Let's go."

Kenpachi cleared his throat. "I'll stay behind, see if any stragglers are left. I'll rejoin you later," he said.

All the captains assembled, excluding Gin, didn't notice his underlying motives. Gin knew that Kenpachi was a hollow, but didn't really care what he did, as long as it didn't interfere with Aizen-sama's plans. The captains left for Seiretei, leaving destruction and death in their wake.

----

The boy was unconscious, and would stay unconscious for some time. The Shinigami woman was nowhere to be seen, so the hollow assumed that she was either dead or someplace else. The rich girl's house would be easy to find. The hollow started with her.

Quickly using Shunpo to travel to the 79th district, he began to ask questions. His authority as a Shinigami captain caused most to answer rather hastily. News of what had gone down in the battle had spread quickly. The Shinigami were now feared more than ever.

After he had gotten his answers, Kenpachi took out a 12th division data storage device. He had already planted some little surprises he had stolen from the 12th in the old man's room. The locals had provided him with descriptions of the family. As he scrolled through the restricted database, he got a match.

The girl's parents were former nobles. A corruption scandal had gotten them exiled from Seireitei and into Rukongai. Their abnormal child had given them no choice but to settle in the higher numbered districts. Had they had settled anywhere else, the pink-haired girl's… strange… tendencies would have no doubt gotten them kicked out.

They still had their money, however, and they spent it discretely but wisely. Most of Kusajishi's residents were unaware that they had former Central 46 members in their midst. Their house was out-of-the-way, and not very extravagant. Their bodyguards were trained to be unseen unless emergencies arose.

Of course, against the well-trained eye of a hollow, they didn't stand a chance.

---

"So, what happens now?" a man asked Leader.

Leader sighed. "We act more discreetly in the future. Or we get stronger and overtake Seireitei, but that doesn't sound very pleasant."

A murmur of assent arose. "What about Demon? He's bound to attract attention in the future."

Another man spoke up. "He has companions as well. We could exile him…"

Leader shook his head. "I'm the only captain-level combatant among us, and Demon is at least my level, if not stronger. Combine his strength with his friends, and we can't fight him. I doubt that my Bankai would be of any use in a battle against him anyways."

"Then what do we do with him?"

Leader massaged his temples. "We figure something out," he snapped.

----

Zaraki woke up next to Ikkaku. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the disorientation that suddenly regaining consciousness had brought upon him.

"What the hell happened?" he asked Ikkaku.

"You were knocked out by that freak Unohana" he responded. "The doctor captain with the long hair," Ikkaku replied when he got a blank look from Zaraki at the mention of the captain's name.

Zaraki groaned. "Great," he muttered. "The cowards got away."

Ikkaku sighed. "Unfortunately so. The war's over. What a pity. It didn't last long enough."

"Too true," Zaraki responded. "Yachiru's still in the house in Kusajishi?"

Ikkaku nodded. "Yep."

"Where's Yumichika?"

"He's in another tent. He got beaten by one of the Shinigami."

Zaraki sighed. "One of these days, I'm gonna get back at those Shinigami," he said. "Specially those two. That silver haired bastard and the supposed strongest swordsman. Gonna kill them one day."

Ikkaku knew enough about Zaraki to know that he wasn't very serious about it. If he was serious, he would have had his sword drawn and reiatsu unleashed by now.

"How long have I been out?" Zaraki asked.

"Three hours," Ikkaku responded. "Leader told me to look after you, so I had to just sit here."

Zaraki stared, incredulous. "You sat here for three hours?"

Ikkaku blushed. "Eh… I did a bit of…"

"What's that?"

"Choreography."

"The hell?"

"I made up a lucky dance."

"What the fuck's that?"

Zaraki spent the next thirty seconds of his life being mentally scarred. In retaliation, he drew his sword, and attacked.

----

Tosen came up to his superior, bowing respectfully. "Aizen-sama," he said.

Aizen looked up from his throne. "What is it, Tosen?"

"Do you recall the intruder, several years ago, that came into Hueco Muendo and began mindlessly slaughtering hollows?"

Aizen only nodded in response.

"He was defeated in the Zaraki district incident. Furthermore, the experimental hollow seems to be planning to assassinate the Captain Commander."

Aizen smiled. The chances of the hollow's success were very slim. If, by some freak accident, the hollow actually managed to kill the Captain Commander, so much the better. Aizen could make his move right then and there, and conquer Soul Society.

----

Inside Yamamoto Genryuusai's personal quarters, a small device beeped and whirred. Any person that has read any science fiction novel knows that anything that "beeps and whirs" is about to either a. transmit or a message or b. explode violently.

If everything went well, the palm-shaped thing would do the latter.

Ryuuken Kenpachi had obviously never studied Murphy's Law very thoroughly.

---

Yachiru woke up in a bed. Observing her surroundings, she could see that the house she was occupying was very well furnished. The walls were decorated with expensive paintings and precious artifacts. It was obviously owned by a very wealthy family.

There was a piece of paper lying on a desk next to the bed. Yachiru picked it up. It looked like Ikkaku's handwriting- messy, almost illegible, and with a couple blood stains here and there.

The note told her to stay put until Zaraki and Ikkaku picked her up from the house. Yachiru sighed. Zaraki was treating her like she was made of glass again.

Yachiru heard the door open downstairs. "Shit," she murmured. Looking for a place to hide, she quickly straightened out the sheets and rolled under the bed.

Then an entire side of the wall blew up.

The girl's father was killed instantly. The mother screamed, backing away, as a masked man entered their house.

Several armed men immediately swarmed the house. "Raze, Bloody Flame," Kenpachi said. The bodyguards fell within seconds, sporting ghastly burn and cut wounds.

Yachiru's eyes widened. She had known who that Zanpakuto had belonged to, and she knew who its current wielder was.

"Where's the money," Kenpachi snarled. The sadistic side of the hollow practically sang. If you were obsessed with money, you _had _to use this dialogue once in a while.

The woman began to sob. She pointed towards a little drawer, concealed from view.

"Thank you," Kenpachi said. He sliced the woman's head off.

Yachiru drew her sword. "Twirl, Dancing Wind!"

Kenpachi's turned his head in surprise. "Well, well, well," he said. "Looks like today's going to be my lucky day. Bankai!"

Zaraki, Ikkaku, Yumichika, and everyone else that remained in what was left of the battlefield all felt the reiatsu.

Ikkaku's swore. "That's from where Yachiru is," he said, cursing.

Yumichika ran out of another tent. The three men were gone in a blink of an eye.

When they arrived in Kusajishi, they were met by a large crater and Yachiru's corpse. Zaraki's face contorted in anger. He didn't remember the last time he had ever been angry.

Kenpachi swore. Fortunately, when she had killed the girl the money had remained intact. It was safely tucked away in the folds of his haori now.

"You bastard!" Zaraki screamed. Kenpachi had already sealed his Bankai and was defenseless. Zaraki's strike blasted through his sword and cut across his chest, drawing blood.

Zaraki's reiatsu obliterated any free-standing objects in his sight. Kenpachi stumbled backwards, overwhelmed by its force. His opponent was on him in seconds. Zaraki grabbed Kenpachi by the throat and raised his sword, preparing to decapitate him.

"Hado Number 31: Shakkoho!" Kenpachi choked. The resulting explosion blasted Zaraki off the hollow, severely burning him. When the smoke from the explosion cleared, Zaraki could make out the faint sound of a shunpo as Kenpachi made his escape.

"Shit!" Zaraki screamed. Raising his sword, he slammed it into the ground, obliterating it. "SHIT!"

Ikkaku and Yumichika both winced as Zaraki's reiatsu poured over them. Yumichika spoke up timidly. "Zaraki, calm down-"

Yumichika was interrupted by the sound of a little girl giggling.

----

Hitsugaya awoke in the Shinigami's medical wagon. The images that Leader had implanted in his mind flashed through his head. Cursing, Histugaya dispelled them. He sighed shakily, holding his head in his hands.

Getting up, Hitsugaya noticed that Unohana was also in the wagon, poring over some medical files.

"Unohana-taicho?"

The captain turned around, mildly surprised by the small captain's consciousness. She had estimated him to be sedated for several days. She had obviously underestimated the power of his reiatsu.

Even more surprising, however, was the fact that he was speaking coherently.

"Please lie back down, Hitsugaya-kun," Unohana ordered. "You had better rest in order to recover."

As Hitsugaya looked down, observing the large battle wounds that adorned his body, another of the images flashed through his head. His eyes widened, and he sat back down. "U-u-nohana," he stammered. "Am I going crazy?"

Unohana's smile was sad. "Not if you don't want to, Hitsuaya-kun."

There was a long silence, and the wagon stopped moving. They had reached Seireitei. Hitsugaya got out of his bed to disembark. Unohana stopped him. "You must lie down," she admonished.

"No, it's okay. I can walk."

Unohana smiled. "You must lie down," she repeated.

Hitsugaya smiled weakly. "Of course," he replied.

When the small captain arrived in the 4th Division's medical barracks, he had visitors. Ukitake was there with a large bag of candy. Matsumoto hugged him, told him that she was relieved that he was alright, and then dumped a rather large pile of paperwork on him. Momo came over to visit when she was on break. Hitsugaya began to recover. His immense reiatsu helped him. His wounds began to heal, and the images stopped coming back. Within six months, he was the same old Hitsugaya Toshiro.

Unohana smiled. Hitsugaya was a strong boy.

"_Not if you don't want to."_

_----_

The little girl giggled, slowly approaching Zaraki. Ikkaku and Yumichika's jaws dropped. Zaraki was emitting reiatsu greater than that of some of the captains, and the girl seemed unfazed.

"Zaraki?" Ikkaku said. "This can't be happening. A little girl can't do that."

Zaraki ignored Ikkaku. Zaraki had removed the word "impossible" from his mental dictionary long ago.

"What's your name, little girl?" Zaraki asked.

The girl giggled. "I don't have a name! What's yours, tall person?"

Zaraki didn't immediately answer the girl's question. Quickly glancing around, he noticed that the two of the corpses bore some resemblance to the girl.

"Are those your parents?" Zaraki asked.

The little girl frowned for a bit, and then answered Zaraki. "Yes, I think so. But at the same time I don't think so. Parents are supposed to love their children aren't they?"

Her face broke into a smile again. Abandoning caution, the girl reached out for Zaraki's sword.

"That's dangerous, you know."

The girl ignored him. Smiling, she wiped off the hollow's blood, laughing as it stained her clothes.

"Do you want a name, little girl?"

The child's ruby eyes shined. She hopped onto Zaraki's shoulders. "Sure!"

Zaraki smiled. "Okay then, Yachiru." He turned towards Ikkaku and Yumichika. "Come on, guys. We're going to Seireitei."

----

"So, you'll be leaving Zaraki," Leader said.

Zaraki nodded.

Leader smiled. "Well, that takes care of a lot of problems," he said. "Will you come back?"

Zaraki frowned. "Probably not. I hope there are good fighters in Seireitei," he said. Zaraki grinned. "Will you guys be able to hold the fort without me?"

Leader smirked. "Don't underestimate us."

Zaraki's small companion giggled. "Blackie looks really funny, doesn't he, pachinko-head!"

The two subjects of Yachiru's nicknames turned to her. Ikkaku spoke up. "Can I blast her brains out, Zaraki?"

Zaraki shook his head.

"Fuck."

---

The trip to Seireitei would take around a week to complete. They didn't have the constant supplies an army received, nor did they have a steady source of income. They would have to figure out something.

They were often waylaid by bandits, but not very strong ones. Zaraki let Ikkaku and Yumichika deal with them. He wanted to meet someone strong, so he could improve himself. Zaraki couldn't remember the last time he had desired strength for revenge. Ryuuken had faded from his mind long ago.

They had mediocre meals. They could hunt and kill deer perfectly fine, but Ikkaku was not the best cook in the world. They tended to avoid the actual districts, as the Shinigami had spread posters of him.

"So, Yumichika. What stops the Shinigami from kicking my ass the minute I step into Seireitei?"

Yumichika produced a rather large book from his traveling bag. It was a law book, apparently. Rifling through the pages, Yumichika came to the section he had been looking for. "This," he said, pointing his finger at a certain clause.

Zaraki read the clause. It listed several crimes that were punishable by death. Zaraki had committed over half.

Zaraki was about to speak up when Yumichika cut him off. "I'm rather good at law," he boasted. "Look at the bottom. Prisoners condemned to execution have 12 hours to make any last statements or settle any business. The law was created for Soukyoku executions. The souls of Soukyoku's victims are completely destroyed. They won't be reincarnated. The Central 46 made up this bullshit to make them feel as if they're leaving something behind."

Yumichika flipped to another section of the book. "These," he said. "Are the ways you can become a captain of the Gotei 13."

Zaraki scanned the list. A trial, performed by three captains, which required knowledge of kido and Bankai. Zaraki had neither of those. Recommendation by several of the captains. Most of them hated Zaraki.

It was when he reached the bottom of the list that Zaraki's face broke into a girn

A duel to the death.

"Captains are _never _executed," Yumichika explained. "It just doesn't happen. And with yoru influence, you can probably save our asses as well."

Zaraki smiled. This was going to be enjoyable.

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	16. Limbs Fly as the Curtain Closes

A/N: Thanks to Markus Wolfe for giving some constructive criticism about the ending of the chapter. After reading it, I decided to revise the ending to tie up a few loose ends.

Limbs Fly as the Curtain Closes

Kurotsuchi Mayuri was not an idiot. He was psychopathic, he was a queer, he was sadistic, but heaven forbid, Kurotsuchi Mayrui was _not _an idiot.

And so, besides three other people in the world, Kurotsuchi Mayuri knew that Ryuuken Kenpachi was a hollow. He kept careful inventory of his more… violent devices, and he knew that Kenpachi had stolen some. He also knew exactly where they were- the Captain Commander's office, primed to explode within twelve hours. As long as Kenpachi's reiatsu was still active, the explosive would detonate. There would only be two things that could stop him: he would die, or the Captain Commander would not be in his office when the bomb went off.

Kurotsuchi calculated the odds against the hollow, and winced. They weren't very pretty.

Firstly, Kurotsuchi would not let the Captain Commander die. It was too boring without the old man around, and unless Kenpachi killed him, which was unlikely (Kurotsuchi was very confident in his abilities), he would snitch.

Secondly, the Captain Commander, though decrepit, was not an idiot. He would find _some _way to protect himself.

And thirdly, Kurotsuchi was privy to the happenings in Zaraki. He knew that Demon was on a manhunt for Kenpachi. Though the outcome of the inevitable battle was anybody's guess, he had a decent chance.

Of course, the point was moot if Kenpachi's plan was not revealed within twelve hours.

And then Kurotsuchi blacked out, hit from behind with Kenpachi's elbow.

Kenpachi chuckled to himself. He hated it when people underestimated him.

----

"Hey, hey, easy with the ropes…" Ikkaku protested.

Tosen glared down at the trio. "_What _is the meaning of this?"

Zaraki just smiled. "Just throw us in jail, will you?"

Tosen frowned. "Soul Society's justice is absolute. You will have to be tried first before you can be convicted."

Yumichika snorted. "Trial, my ass." Tosen ignored him, leading them, bound, towards the Central 46 chamber.

As Zaraki walked into the humongous room, he could feel the stares of all the council members boring into his face. Looking up, he smiled maniacally. He could see several of the old men and women break eye contact, muttering nervously.

'The council addressed Ikkaku and Yumichika first.

"Madarame Ikkaku and Ayasegawa Yumichika," one man read out. "You are charged with assisting the Zaraki rebels in combat. You are further charged with assaulting a captain and two vice-captains, and finally, with _treason._ How do you plead?"

Ikkaku cleared his throat. "Y'know," he began. "If I said 'innocent' you'd probably throw us in jail anyways, right?"

The council just stared at him in contempt.

Ikkaku sighed. "Guilty," he responded.

"Tie them up and throw him in a cell," someone commanded. Two hulking men came out from the shadow and grabbed Ikkaku and Yumichika by the shoulders. Yumichika just mentally sighed. Aside from being so ugly it was almost a crime, Yumichika recognized the two men. Academy dropouts. The Central 46 was certainly getting quite desperate.

The council directed its attention towards Zaraki now. He began to panic. He didn't exactly remember the lines Yumichika had told him to say. Something about article so and so…

"_Shit," Zaraki thought. "There's a fucking reason why I'm not a lawyer!"_

Zaraki just sighed. "Look, lemme fight the 11th division captain or else I'll kill you all."

The council was silent when Yumichika suddenly burst into the room, followed by two guards who attempted to restrain him. "Wait!" he cried out. He whipped out his book of law.

Zaraki was speechless as Yumichika justified his reasons for being present- he was a witness under some obscure article. As Yumichika began to rant, blank looks overcame most of the councilmember's faces. When Yumichika finished his speech, a vote was called. Assorted muttering and dissatisfied grumbling was heard throughout the room as the council prepared to vote.

As Yumichika left the room, he paused for a moment. Standing up straight, he made eye contact with every single woman (and quite a few men) in the room.

Slowly, deliberately, Yumichika fluttered his eyelashes. Flicking his hair over his shoulder and giggling, he left the room.

Zaraki buried his face in his hands as the council unanimously voted in their favor. "_What has this world come to…"_

----

The assorted captains gaped, open-mouthed, and the proclamation that had come in from the Central 46. Mayuri had ignored the summons and was no doubt experimenting in his lab.

Unohana was the first to speak up. She smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "This," she declared. "Is _madness._"

Shunsui and Juushiro simultaneously gulped. They chose not to speak for the remainder of the meeting. The chance that they just _might _offend Unohana was far too great.

Unfortunately for Gin, he did not have that experience.

"Why?" he asked.

Unohana just smiled at him, though her eyes said that she was planning something painful for him the next time he visited to 4th Division for medical treatment. "This man," she said. "Was our enemy. He has fought against us with the intention to kill us. He has, indeed, killed our own men. He was friends with _monsters,_ and , indeed, he may be a monster _himself._ That is why."

Soifon nodded in agreement. Several heads turned. Soifon was never one to question orders, but here she was.

"We cannot allow this man to become a captain," Soifon said.

Kenpachi uneasily cleared his throat. "Are you doubting my abilities?" he asked.

"No, Kenpachi, but we can't let this man the slightest chance," Unohana said.

Kuchiki Byakuya spoke up. "While Unohana-taicho and Soifon-taicho both have excellent points," he began. "The Central 46 has ordered us to let this man duel Kenpachi-taicho. As such-"

Soifon cut Kuchiki off, standing up angrily. "This _transcends _you and your idiotic rules, Kuchiki!" she shouted.

Yamamoto let a fraction of his immense reiatsu wash over Soifon, freezing her in her tracks. "Sit down, Soifon-taicho," he commanded.

Soifon reluctantly sat down, eyes still glaring daggers at Kuchiki.

"Kuchiki-taicho is correct," Yamamoto said. "The Central 46's command is law. We will allow this man to take the captain exam."

"Yamamoto soutai-" Tosen began.

Gin cut Tosen off, chuckling to himself as he did so. It was always amusing to see old Kaname, whose true colors Gin knew, act like the peace-loving wuss that Aizen had ordered him to portray. Of course, in Aizen's grand scheme Gin would be the bait that the foolish Shinigami would no doubt take, and as such, he could afford to act like himself. "C'mon, Tosen," he chided, grinning. "It'll be fun!"

Tosen glared at Gin with unseeing eyes. "Ichimaru-taicho," he said. "Do not mock death."

Gin just laughed. "Need help getting that stick out of your ass?" he asked.

"Ichimaru-taciho," Yamamoto warned.

Gin shut up, but kept smiling.

"The duel between Kenpachi-taicho and the intruder will occur in two hours, unless Kenpachi-taicho has any objections," Yamamoto said, turning to Kenpachi for a response.

The hollow shook his head. "None, Yamamoto-soutaicho," he responded. The boy was a nuisance, and he had been unable to dispose of him in Zaraki. Now he had come to him to die. How convenient.

"Then the Captain's meeting is adjourned."

----

"Just remember, if you fuck up, we all die," Ikkaku said. Yumichika nodded his head in agreement.

"Shut up," Zaraki muttered. Yachiru was chewing on something strange. It had a colorful head, attached to a stick. Very, very, peculiar.

The strange item grabbed Zaraki's attention. "Yachiru, what the hell are you chewing?"

Yachiru giggled. "Sweet stuff!"

"Where did you find it?" Yumichika asked.

Yachiru shrugged. "I walked into this building and found them! There was a guy with white hair coughing up blood in the room, though…"

"Um… how did you get out of this cell?" Zaraki asked.

Yachiru pointed to a small hole in the wall. Zaraki stared. "How the hell did you do that? Our weapons were taken away from us?"

Yachiru smiled, revealing her fangs. Ikkaku and Yumichika backed up in a hurry. Zaraki smiled at her, and ruffled her hair. "Atta girl," he proudly said.

----

The twelve captains stared down at the man before them. Juushiro and Shunsui sat next to HItsugaya. "So, Toshiro-kun," Juushiro said. "You've fought this man, correct?"

Hitsugaya nodded. "Does he have a chance?" Shunsui asked.

Hitsugaya shook his head. "I don't think so. He's fairly strong, but I defeated him, and Kenpachi is stronger than me."

As Zaraki drew his sword, the two senior captains studied it with a critical eye. "What's his Zanpakuto's effect?" Juushiro asked.

Hitsugaya sighed. "That's what's so peculiar about him. He's almost captain level, but he doesn't even know his sword's _name_."

Shunsui narrowed his eyes. "Are you telling me that he doesn't even know shikai?"

Juushiro shook his head. "Can't you feel that reiatsu?" he said. "That kind of reiatsu is only felt when a Shinigami releases his Zanpakuto. He's in constant shikai and he doesn't even know it."

Down at the arena, Kenpachi rubbed his hands together. He released his Zanpakuto. The hollow wanted to get things done quickly. He could detonate the charges in Yamamoto's room at will, as they were tied to his reiatsu. However, the bond between the explosives and his soul would deteriorate within a couple of hours at most. He had to get Yamamoto back into his quarters within that time.

"Bankai: Bloody Flame's Annihilation!"

Hitsugaya visibly winced. He had dueled Kenpachi, bankai on bankai, during a training session. The man's bankai could not melt Hitsugaya' ice. Nothing except Yamamoto- soutaicho's flames or a full year of sun could do that.

Hitsugaya had still lost the battle though. He rubbed his temples, pondering how the medic squad would haul his large body out of the arena.

Kenpachi's clothes melted away, revealing a sculpted upper torso. All that remained was his haori, fluttering in the powerful current his reiatsu generated.

Zaraki gripped his sword tighter than he had ever before. This man had killed Yachiru for money and out of greed. Now, Zaraki would kill him, not on a whim, but for revenge.

And of course, for pride. Zaraki sure as hell wasn't going to stand by as some kido pansy took the title Kenpachi.

A sai appeared in Kenpachi's hand, replacing his knife. The sai was crimson, with an ornate yellow sash tied around its hilt.

Kenpachi did not waste any time. "Armageddon's Breeze!" he shouted, swinging his sai downwards.

An invisible shockwave enveloped Zaraki, pushing him backwards several feet. Zaraki could feel his flesh burn as a pungent smell filled the air. He looked down at his arm, burnt black as coal.

Hitsugaya shook his head. "By the looks of it, the guy doesn't know Kido or Shunpo either," he commented.

Zaraki growled, trying to fight Kenpachi's attack. Finally mustering enough reiatsu to dispel it, he rolled to the side, recovering his composure. Horrid burns dotted his body.

Roaring, Zaraki raised his sword and charged forward. Kenpachi raised his hand, and his lips began to move.

Shunsui shook his head. "Game over."

"Hado Number 4: White Lightning (Byakurai)!"

A bolt of lightning shot out from Kenpachi's extended finger, impaling Kenpachi in the right shoulder. He collapsed to the ground, blood spurting from his wound.

Hitsugaya sighed. "Well," he said. "That's that."

Ukitake held him down, preventing him from leaving the stadium. "Toshiro-kun!" he exclaimed, surprised. "I thought young men of your age read shonen manga!"

Hitsugaya raised his eyebrows. "Shonen?"

Shunsui nodded sagely. "Love lent us a few. This would be the part where the hero, gravely injured, rises up from the ground by sheer force of will and beats the living tar out of the evil enemy!"

Ukitake suddenly raised a finger. "Wait a second, Shunsui," he said. "What makes that guy the hero?"

Shunsui grunted. "It would be much more interesting if he was, you know."

Hitsugaya shook his head. Why the hell was he the one who was treated like a child?

Zaraki's reiatsu boomed, washing over the spectators. Shunsui wagged a finger at Ukitake. "See," he admonished. "Told you so."

Zaraki was enraged. He had never been enraged in his entire life before this moment. He would rip this coward apart from limb to limb.

Zaraki swung his sword downwards, aiming to decapitate the captain. Kenpachi lazily sidestepped, and fired off another Byakurai.

Snarling, Zaraki extended his arm and swatted the Kido spell out of the sky. He growled in frustration. "I…HATE…Kido!" he roared, swinging his sword towards

"Ragnarok's Wrath!" Kenpachi shouted, thrusting out his sai to intercept Zaraki's sword. When the two weapons collided, the sai exploded.

Zaraki was hurled backwards, and hit the ground hard. Quickly regaining his senses, he nimbly rolled out of Kenpachi's next strike, but he couldn't dodge the resulting explosion.

Shunsui shook his head. "Ryuuken's Bankai isn't particularly strong," he commented. "But he usually augments it with kido. And the only way to defend yourself against it is _with_ kido, and that man doesn't know any."

"Apocalypse's Rain!"

Zaraki had been stunned by the explosion, and when he looked up, he saw fire falling from the sky. "_No, no! I have to kill him! I have to kill him!"_

The molten liquid pulverized Zaraki's tearing holes through his flesh and burning his body horribly. He collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

Kenpachi sealed his Bankai. "Well," he said. "He's dead."

----

_"Where… am I?"_

A javelin flew out of nowhere and embedded itself at the ground by Zaraki's feet. Whipping himself around, Zaraki spotted a strange man charging him. His shield seemed to be woven out of some sort of bark, and he wore minimal armor. Raising his sword, he charged, but not at Zaraki. He ran _through_ Zaraki like he was made of nothingness, and continued his attack on some unforeseen enemy.

Arrows blotted out the sun as they raced towards Zaraki, or whatever was behind him. One of them hit him in his torso, but it simply passed through him.

Two armies clashed, and Zaraki could finally see the other side. They were heavily armored, with horsehair plumes on their helmets. They carried ridiculously large shields with some sort of mark painted on them, like a v.

Someone stood up behind him. "Wonderful, isn't it?"

Zaraki turned his head, and beheld what abomination had approached him. It was humanoid, but had red skin and glowing eyes. It had long black hair, and it held Zaraki's sword in its hand. Instead of nails, it had claws that glinted in the sunlight. Battle scars adorned its sculpted torso."Who are you?" Zaraki asked.

The thing cackled. "Figure it out for yourself!" it shouted. It snapped its fingers, and the scene changed.

A man, dressed in blue, shouted a battle cry and charged forward, a strange object in his hand. It looked like a spear, but the blade was attached to the bottom of a peculiar hollow wooden tube. He raised the tube and clenched his left hand, and the strange item kicked backwards, spewing fire from its tip. Another man, dressed in gray, fell to the ground.

The thing, still behind Zaraki, licked its lips. "War is wonderful, isn't it?"

"You're my Zanpakuto, aren't you?" Zaraki asked.

The thing frowned. "Yes I am. I don't like you very much at all," it said. "You trapped me here, with _nothing _to do. Every great battle that was and every great battle that will be plays out in this world. But I can't do anything. I can only watch as men kill each other. It gets boring after a while."

A large boom sounded, and something streaked over Zaraki's head. It crashed into the ground and exploded, sending grey men flying everywhere.

"What do you want?" Zaraki asked.

"Ah, about that. In about five minutes you will die, and because of your weakness, so will I. I have no wish to die, yet I would rather cease to exist than serve a weakling."

Zaraki snarled. "Serve me? I need no sword to serve me!" he shouted. "I use my own strength alone!"

The thing's eyes narrowed. "Then what do I do? Languish around here all day? I have never tasted blood in my fifty years of existence, fool. _What do you think swords are made to do?_"

"Swords are meant to cut," Zaraki retorted. "They are _not _made to house souls."

"Well then" the sword said. "Right now, your body is almost dead. Is this how you want to die? The captains will look at you and shake their heads. 'Just another challenger,' they'll say. 'They're always so weak.' Is that how you want to be spoken of?"

Zaraki fell silent. He did not have many morals, but he had _pride._

"Give me blood once a decade," Zaraki's sword said. "And I'll never bother you again."

"So how do I get out of here?"

The sword raised its eyebrows. "What do you mean? You just walk out."

"No test? No trial?"

The sword shook its head. "Actually, no. It's getting _in _that's the challenge for most Shinigami. When you were knocked unconscious, you were probably struck by some sort of great desire, which amplified your concentration, which got you in here."

"Wait, seriously? There's no test?"

"No, damnit. Get out of here. You'll learn my name once you're out."

When Zaraki woke up, he found his body in a very sorry state. When he stood up, he could imagine the shock of the captains assembled.

"Shock" was an understatement. The Captain Commander himself stood up in surprise.

Zaraki chuckled. "Y'know," he said. "It's considered rude to turn your back on an opponent in the middle of a fight."

"_My name,"_ _a voice inside Zaraki's head boomed._

"Armageddon's Breeze!"

_"Is Demon!"_

Zaraki's sword blasted away the heat wave that Kenpachi's sai generated. He chuckled. "Is that all you have?"

Kenpachi shunpoed behind Zaraki and stabbed him through the chest as a response. Zaraki collapsed to the ground, blood streaming from his wounds. Then his reiatsu exploded.

"_What?" Kenpachi thought. "He's getting _stronger?"

Demon sped towards Kenpachi's waist, aiming to cut him in half. Sidestepping just in time, Kenpachi released another Armageddon's Breeze.

Kenpachi timed the amount of time he exposed Zaraki to the attack, and noted the seemingly contradictory steady increase of reiatsu as Zaraki's skin began to melt.

Zaraki's sword sliced across Kenpachi's skin, and his reiatsu, almost imperceptibly, increased a bit more. He laughed, and it continued to climb.

"_His reiatsu is tied to how intense the battle is," Kenpachi realized. "I can't let this battle drag on."_

"Walls of ironsand, a priestly pagoda, glowing ironclad fireflies. Standing upright, silent to the end. Bakudo Number 75: Quintet of Iron Pillars!"

The five pillars crushed Zaraki, pinning him to the ground. Wasting no time, Kenpachi raised his sai and prepared to stab Zaraki in the back.

The sai glanced off of Zaraki's back. Kenpachi's eyes widened. He had put all his reiatsu into that one strike in order to ensure the boy's death.

Kenpachi's arm flew off, taking a bit of the haori with it. Kenpachi stumbled backwards, dazed with pain. "_Shit!" he thought._

Zaraki's reiatsu boomed yet again, throwing Kenpachi backwards. Howling with glee, Zaraki leapt forward and sliced the other arm off. Kenpachi's sai melted away.

"You killed Yachiru," Zaraki hissed. "I'll kill you."

Zaraki's sword strike pulverized the hollow's body. Pieces of flesh scattered everywhere, and Kenpachi Ryuuken, and the hollow that resided in his body, died. The explosive device in Yamamoto's room deactivated.

With the battle over, Zaraki's reiatsu dissipated, the effect of his Zanpakuto gone.

----

Kurotsuchi was found the next day unconscious in his lab. When told that Ryuuken had been killed, he just nodded and smiled, scaring the messengers away.

Zaraki chose Yachiru as his lieutenant. Ikkaku and Yumichika were flummoxed by this decision. Yachiru just smiled, and challenged both of them to a two on one battle.

The two men tried going easy on the little girl for the first five seconds of the battle. After it was over, neither of the two men were ever the same.

Renji avoided Ikkaku and Yumichika for a couple months. Then Ikkaku tied him up and dragged him to the Seireitei bar for a couple of drinks between old friends. After the third sake jug, both men were singing along to a crappy bar song like nothing had ever happened between them.

Kurotsuchi never told anyone that Ryuuken had been a hollow. To him, it looked like Zaraki was just fine having half the captains hate his guts. He didn't want to spoil it for everyone.

As for Zaraki himself, he was rather disappointed with captaincy. The sparring matches with the fellow captains were fine, but you always had to go easy on them. He couldn't release Demon. The sword had warned him that he was to be used in emergencies only. Zaraki was just fine with that. He wanted to live, but he preferred relying, as always, on his own strength. The captains themselves rarely released their Bankais, either. It made for poor fights.

When the ryoka broke into Seireitei, and Kurosaki Ichigo landed himself in the 11th division's patrol section, Zaraki was just ecstatic.

Ichigo preached about bonds with their Zanpakutos to Zaraki. Zaraki didn't really listen. He could use Shikai, and had no interest in Bankai.

When Aizen betrayed Soul Society, Zaraki knew that he could not defeat the man with his Shikai. He was simply too powerful. He was out of Zaraki's league.

_"What was my sword's name again?"_ _Zaraki thought. "Demon. Yes, that's right. His name is Demon. I haven't released him in such a long time._"

Kenpachi Zaraki began to train for Bankai.

Review, please. I tied up the Renji-Ikkaku relationship, Kurotsuchi getting knocked out, and Yachiru becoming lieutenant. I think that's it. If there's any other glaringly obvious plot holes that I've missed, please tell me. I describe my version of a Zaraki Bankai in another story. I'm going to use Demon as his Zanpakuto in all my other stories, but Zaraki will have more of a back row seat. Unless he's in a battle, that is.


End file.
